Trai probes Airtel 5G slicing amid net neutrality concerns

Regulator sought clarity on Airtel’s use of “fast lane” technology for Priority Postpaid plans

- Jatin Grover

Airtel's Priority Postpaid plan offers faster speeds and better indoor coverage to users, including over 5G network.

(REUTERS)

Amid growing scrutiny of Bharti Airtel’s 5G Priority Postpaid service, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) on Wednesday met executives of the telecom operator to understand its new offering, according to three people aware of the matter.

The meeting, attended by more than 10 Trai officials, including three principal advisers across departments, comes amid concerns within the telecom industry over whether network-slicing based premium services could create preferential access for high-paying users at the expense of prepaid subscribers.

During the meeting, the regulator sought clarity on Airtel’s use of the term “fast lane” technology to describe the priority postpaid plans on its website. Discussions also covered whether the service violates net-neutrality rules and if it could affect service quality for non-priority users.

“Trai is looking at the issue from all angles,” one of the people cited above said.