Airtel Priority 5G Slicing Under Government Review

Bharti Airtel, the second-largest telecom operator in India, is in the government radar for launching the Priority Postpaid service. For the unaware, Priority Postpaid is basically 5G slicing (over standalone or SA). Airtel has promised that the consumers on the Priority Postpaid service will get a superior 5G experience. However, this may not comply with the net neutrality rules set by the government. Airtel prepaid consumers will still be on the regular 5G network.

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Key Highlights

  • Bharti Airtel is facing government scrutiny over its newly launched Priority Postpaid 5G slicing service in India.
  • The Indian government is evaluating whether Airtel’s 5G slicing could negatively impact network quality for prepaid users.
  • Union Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has reportedly discussed the matter with officials and regulators.
  • Airtel may be asked to explain and technically demonstrate how its 5G slicing architecture works.
  • India currently does not have clear regulations around retail 5G network slicing services.

Indian Government Discussing if 5G Slicing is Resulting in Degradation of Services for Prepaid Users

The government is worried if the 5G priority service for postpaid users will affect the services for prepaid consumers. The union telecom minister of India, Jyotiraditya Scindia has already met with the officials on the service. The telecom regulatory will be examining the service in detail to check for any hindrances created by the service, and could ask Airtel for technical details.

Airtel Might Need to Explain and Demonstrate Slicing to Govt

According to an ET report, Airtel could be asked to explain and demonstrate how slicing of the network has been done to better understand the technology behind the new service. There are no clear rules around slicing in India. The telecom operators had written to the telecom regulatory after launching 5G in 2022, asking about the rules around slicing based plans. However, they did not get any reply in the regard.

Airtel has gone ahead and launched the services. Now, if it is really affecting net neutrality rules or not is something the government is trying to evaluate and decide. Airtel’s postpaid consumer base is extremely small, about 7.5% of the total mobile user base. With 5G slicing, the telco aims to deliver an enhanced 5G experience to the consumers.

Silicing is already implemented in international markets. India has just seen it taking shape for the retail consumers, and thus, it will be a interesting few weeks and months to see where this goes.

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FAQs

What is Airtel Priority Postpaid?

Airtel Priority Postpaid is a premium postpaid service that uses 5G network slicing technology to offer users a superior and prioritised 5G experience.

Why is the Indian government examining Airtel’s 5G slicing service?

The government wants to ensure that prioritising postpaid users does not degrade network quality or violate net neutrality principles for prepaid consumers.

What is 5G network slicing?

5G network slicing is a technology that creates dedicated virtual sections of a telecom network to deliver different levels of service quality for specific users or applications.

Has Airtel violated any rules with Priority Postpaid?

There are currently no clearly defined rules for retail 5G slicing in India, which is why regulators are reviewing the service carefully.

Could Airtel be asked to explain the technology to the government?

Yes, reports suggest Airtel may need to demonstrate and explain how its slicing technology works to telecom authorities and regulators.