Bharti Airtel has defended its priority postpaid service plans against allegations of violating net neutrality norms to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), stating that the service was fully compliant with regulations issued by the telecom regulator and the government. According to sources aware of the communication, the No. 2 carrier told the government that 'Airtel's implementation is fully compliant with TRAI and DoT norms. It is content-neutral and involves no blocking, throttling, preferential treatment, or zero-rating.' The company has offered to share live network data with authorities and be accountable for quality-of-service benchmarks. As per the latest submission to the Committee on Communications and Information Technology, 'Priority Postpaid is implemented in a content-neutral manner and is fully consistent with the existing TRAI and DoT framework. There is no blocking, throttling, content-specific prioritisation, zero-rating, or preferential treatment of any application.'
Airtel's executives met top government officials after the Committee on Communications and Information Technology sought clarification from the Sunil Mittal-backed telecom services provider. The company revealed that overall 5G capacity utilisation is around 38 per cent during busy hours, with postpaid traffic accounting for only about 4 per cent. Following the introduction of a virtual 'tunnel' (slice) for Priority Postpaid, this may move to around 6 per cent. The carrier emphasized that prepaid and other non-priority traffic continue to have additional headroom of roughly 60 per cent of total capacity, making it clear that Priority Postpaid does not and cannot cause degradation for prepaid users. Airtel stated that 'Priority Postpaid does not degrade the quality of service for any customer, whether prepaid or postpaid.'
The debate over net neutrality has intensified following Airtel's launch of Priority Postpaid plans, with multiple industry players weighing in on the regulatory implications. Reliance Jio told the Standing Committee that 5G network slicing-based services are compatible with India's net neutrality framework, provided they do not impact the quality or availability of general internet access services. However, Jio also stressed that the rollout of consumer-focused offerings such as priority postpaid plans should be undertaken only after consultation with, and approval from, the telecom department. In its submission dated May 25, Jio stated that network slicing capabilities in 5G Standalone (SA) networks would remain compliant with net neutrality regulations as long as there is no degradation of regular internet services and no content-based differential pricing. Meanwhile, Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has already held discussions with officials regarding the issue, indicating high-level government scrutiny of the service.
Airtel's priority postpaid plans are powered by 5G network slicing technology, which the company described as the only proven large-scale monetisation model on 5G today and foundational to future 6G networks. The carrier stated that 'Network slicing is the only proven large-scale monetisation model on 5G today and is foundational to future 6G networks. For India to stay competitive, embracing such technology advancements is essential.' 5G slicing refers to creating segments within a telecom carrier's network for specialized use, such as fast lanes with low latency or dedicated lanes ensuring all-time connectivity, which is prevalent in markets such as Singapore, the US, the UK, and Malaysia. Airtel believes that 'not allowing the use of mainstream features of 5G to offer services will jeopardise the potential of 6G in the country.'
The company argued that there is a clear commercial incentive for ensuring prepaid customers receive excellent service, as they make up 92 per cent of the subscriber base and contribute 88 per cent of revenue. According to the latest earnings report, Airtel has 29-30 million postpaid customers, making up 7-8 per cent of its mobility user base and contributing around 12-13 per cent of mobility revenue. Any shift from prepaid to postpaid will bolster Airtel's revenues, with the carrier's priority postpaid plans starting at ₹449 for a single user and going up to ₹1,749 for five users, offering unlimited data and calling with additional OTT and streaming services. Airtel launched its 'Priority Postpaid' plans on May 19, which promise consistent speed even in crowded markets for postpaid customers.
