Priority postpaid service doesn't violate net neutrality, says Bharti Airtel
What's the story
Bharti Airtel has defended its new "Priority Postpaid" service before a Department of Telecommunications (DoT) panel. The company claims that the offering, which uses 5G network slicing, does not violate net neutrality norms or degrade service quality for prepaid users. Airtel argues that this innovation is critical for future 6G development in India.
Service details
Airtel assures no impact on prepaid users
Airtel launched "Priority Postpaid" plans on May 19, promising consistent speed even in crowded markets for postpaid customers. The company has clarified that the "Airtel Priority" facility does not degrade the quality of service for any customer, whether prepaid or postpaid. This assurance was part of Airtel's submission to the DoT panel.
Capacity usage
Current 5G network utilization
Airtel has also explained the current state of its 5G network. The company says that overall 5G capacity utilization is around 38% during busy hours. Of this, postpaid traffic accounts for only about 4%. However, after introducing a virtual "tunnel" (slice) for Priority Postpaid, it may increase to around 6%. Prepaid and other non-priority traffic still have enough headroom to nearly 60% of total capacity.