Centre concerned about Airtel’s new priority plan as it might break net neutrality rules

Airtel's new priority postpaid plan is catching the government's attention, as officials worry it might break net neutrality rules. The plan uses network slicing, which is basically, a way to give postpaid users faster and more reliable service. But this could leave prepaid users with slower speeds. The Centre and TRAI are now digging into whether this setup is fair for everyone. Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has already talked with his team about Airtel's tech, and the regulator may ask the company to provide technical details.

Bharti Airtel on Tuesday announced a significant change to the company’s telecom network infrastructure, implementing a new slicing technology that will prioritise the 5G experience for postpaid customers. All new and existing postpaid customers on Airtel’s network will gradually be able to take advantage of this new network slicing methodology, as long as their phone supports 5G SA, or standalone networks.

The big question that arises here is: Should my internet speed depend on how much I pay? This move also raises questions about the resulting experiences for other users on the network, including millions of prepaid users, and reignites the net neutrality debate.

With 5G tech evolving fast and regulations still unclear, authorities want to make sure all Indians get equal access online—no matter their plan or provider.

“Priority Postpaid is our latest innovation powered by the 5G slicing technology. It provides a superior, more reliable, and dependable experience to our customers, whether they are attending a client call in traffic, or streaming at a packed concert, or booking a cab in a crowded market,” Airtel CEO Shashwat Sharma said.