• Access the press release from Airtel here.

Nikhil’s take: As per my understanding of current Net Neutrality regulations, creating plans with higher speeds does not violate Net Neutrality, as long as you don’t prioritise speeds for specific apps, or price access to different apps differently. It’s important for the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to look into this because this rollout should not lead to the degradation of experience for other customers of Airtel. 

Just because 5G technology is capable of network slicing doesn’t mean that network slicing is used to discriminate between apps, either in speed or data pricing. 

I think the principle that Vishal Misra, professor at Columbia University, had given us for Net Neutrality, that “the Internet must be maintained as an open platform on which network providers treat all content, applications, and services equally, without discrimination,” should determine how we look at these developments.

What’s the news? Bharti Airtel announced the launch of Priority Postpaid on May 19, 2026. This new service uses 5G network slicing technology to deliver a more stable and dependable mobile experience for postpaid users, making it the first telecom operator in India to introduce network slicing.

In a blog post, Airtel said it had upgraded its 5G network with advanced slicing capabilities, which “intelligently and dynamically” segment “network capacity” to ensure customers continue receiving reliable connectivity even during periods of high traffic demand. The company stated that the service is designed for users who rely on uninterrupted connectivity for work, entertainment, streaming, navigation, and online collaboration. Meanwhile, in an X post, Airtel said the “Fastlane Technology” powering the service is designed to deliver a “more stable and seamless experience” even during congestion, whether customers are “attending a client call in traffic, streaming at a packed concert, or booking a cab in a crowded market.”

What is network slicing? Network slicing is a networking technique that allows telecom operators to divide a single physical network into multiple virtual “slices,” each optimised for a specific use case such as low latency, high-speed streaming, enterprise connectivity, or IoT services. Instead of treating all internet traffic equally, operators can allocate network resources dynamically to prioritise certain services or applications during congestion. This can raise net neutrality concerns if operators prioritise certain content, apps, or users over others or offer faster connectivity in exchange for higher payments.

Telcos have backed network prioritisation: At a TRAI event in February 2026, telecom executives argued that service-based network slicing and priority scheduling can operate within India’s current net neutrality framework, even as operators explored ways to offer differentiated 5G experiences.

Reliance Jio president Udai Kumar Srivastava said, “It is possible to do the service-based applications” under existing net neutrality and universal license rules and cited Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) as an example already operating within the framework. “There is absolutely no clash,” he said, adding, “there is no violation as such in our opinion.”

Meanwhile, Ericsson’s Umang Jindal defended priority scheduling for services, saying: “When you start to prioritise scheduling, we need to see, are we prioritising a service or are we prioritising content?” The Head of Network Solutions, Software, and Performance at Ericsson further added, “If we’re prioritising a service, it works. But if you’re trying to prioritise a content, then it creates a point of discussion.”

Airtel discussed differential pricing in the Q4FY26 Earnings Call: During the call, executives argued that India’s telecom pricing structure has become unsustainable because of unlimited data plans, while pushing for more differentiated pricing tiers. Executive Vice-Chairman Gopal Vittal said “the price architecture in this country is broken” because operators are “capped out” at around Rs 340-350 under unlimited plans. He contrasted this with markets such as the US and Europe, where consumers pay significantly more for unlimited data. 

Meanwhile, Vittal said Airtel wants a tiered structure spanning “small, medium, large and extra-large” plans that create “a natural pathway to upgradation”. However, he acknowledged Airtel “cannot move alone” because “it’s a competitive market.”

Also read

• If markets and regulators are ready for network slicing, we are ready: JIO
• Bharti Airtel’s Nxtra to raise $1 billion, valuation rises to $3.1 billion amid data centre push
• Airtel Q4FY26: Mobile data usage hits 31.4 GB per user per month, ARPU rises to Rs 257