Bharti Airtel has assured the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) that its new 5G slicing-based “Priority Postpaid” service does not violate net neutrality rules and does not reduce network quality for prepaid users.
The company said the rollout complies with Trai and DoT regulations and does not involve blocking, throttling, or giving preferential treatment to any content or application, Moneycontrol reported.
In a communication sent to the DoT on May 25, Airtel said it fully complies with Trai regulations, DoT licence conditions, and relevant IT, 3GPP, and TEC standards.
The company stated that the Priority Postpaid service was specifically designed to remain within India’s net neutrality framework.
Airtel was responding to criticism that emerged after the launch of the Priority Postpaid plan on May 19.
Some industry observers claimed that Airtel’s use of 5G network slicing technology could violate net neutrality principles by offering better connectivity to postpaid users.
Rejecting these allegations, Airtel described the service as a network efficiency improvement meant to enhance customer experience without discriminating against any category of users or content.
The company said the feature neither blocks nor slows internet traffic and does not provide special access to any app, website, OTT platform, or online service.
5G slicing, also called network slicing, is a technology that allows telecom companies to divide a single 5G network into separate virtual networks for different services.
Each slice can provide specific performance levels, such as faster speed or lower latency, helping operators optimise network usage and offer customised experiences to users or applications.
According to the report, Airtel’s 5G network is currently operating well below full capacity, and the Priority Postpaid feature has enough extra capacity without affecting the experience of prepaid users.
Airtel’s total 5G network usage peaks at around 38 percent, while postpaid traffic makes up only about 4 percent of the overall load.
Airtel further told the DoT that live network data and trial results show the service has improved quality without negatively impacting prepaid users.
