Airtel Defends Priority Postpaid Service Before DoT, Says No Net Neutrality Rules Were Breached

Bharti Airtel has defended its recently launched “Priority Postpaid” service before a Department of Telecommunications (DoT) panel, rejecting concerns that the offering violates India’s net neutrality rules or impacts service quality for prepaid users. The telecom operator said the service is built on 5G network slicing technology and remains fully compliant with the existing regulatory framework.

In its submission to the DoT, Airtel said “Priority Postpaid” is implemented in a content-neutral manner, with no blocking, throttling, zero-rating, content-specific prioritisation, or preferential treatment for any app, website or platform. The company added that it has no commercial arrangements with content providers linked to the service.

On Tuesday, 26 May 2026, Bharti Airtel shares closed at ₹1,846.90 on the National Stock Exchange, down 1.49%.

Airtel Says Priority Postpaid Uses 5G Slicing Without Affecting User Access

Airtel launched the Priority Postpaid service on 19 May 2026, positioning it as a premium feature for postpaid users that promises more consistent speeds and better network performance in high-traffic areas such as crowded markets, business districts, stadiums and transport hubs. The service runs on Airtel’s standalone (SA) 5G architecture, where users are placed on a dedicated virtual network “slice” optimised for better performance.

A key part of Airtel’s defence was based on network usage data. The telecom company told the DoT panel that its overall 5G capacity utilisation during busy hours is around 38%, leaving substantial headroom across the network. Within that, postpaid users currently contribute only around 4% of total mobile traffic. Airtel said that even after moving Priority Postpaid users to a dedicated network slice, this share would rise only to around 6%, which it argued is too small to affect prepaid users.

The company also stated that prepaid users continue to have nearly 60% network capacity headroom, and therefore, there is “no degradation of quality of service” for non-priority customers. Airtel added that prepaid users remain central to its business and that it has no financial incentive to reduce their service quality.

DoT Reviews Premium Network Access As Industry Watches 5G Policy Interpretation

Airtel further told the department that restricting the use of core 5G capabilities such as network slicing could affect India’s telecom innovation roadmap and “jeopardise the potential of 6G” in the future. The telco argued that network slicing is a mainstream global telecom technology and an important capability of advanced 5G deployments.

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The DoT had sought clarification after questions were raised over whether offering premium network access to one set of subscribers could conflict with India’s strict net neutrality regime. The issue has gained broader industry attention, with telecom players and regulators closely watching how 5G-based differentiated services are interpreted under existing rules.

Sources:

Outlook Business

Mint

ETTelecom