Customising for customers? Issues in 5G slicing spark net neutrality debate

Vodafone Idea's attack on Airtel's priority postpaid plans has reignited the debate over 5G slicing, net neutrality, and equal network access in India

Telecom-service provider Vodafone Idea on Thursday took on Airtel’s priority postpaid plans based on 5G slicing, which is a method of compartmentalising a carrier’s network for putting it to specific use. 

Vodafone Idea, which stands third among the three principal telecom players, took to social media with the slogan “Sabko Equal Network ka Vaada and Everyone is a Priority”, which implies that the same quality of service should be made available to everyone and not a certain set of users. 

“At Vi, we believe that every customer deserves a fair and consistent network experience. Offering preferential speeds or services based on the user’s profile raises questions on equity and principles of an equal digital ecosystem,” Vodafone Idea Chief Marketing Officer Avneesh Khosla said in a statement on Thursday. 

The statement has brought out the divergence between carriers as to whether a certain set of users can be promised better service through a specific plan. 

It has also triggered examination from multiple quarters, including the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, Department of Telecom (DoT) and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai). This is about whether the plan conflicts with the net neutrality rules of non-discrimination or if the quality of service of prepaid users is being degraded.

 

What is Airtel’s priority postpaid plan? 

The second-largest carrier last week upgraded all its postpaid customers to plans offering a dependable network despite heavy congestion. Calling it “priority postpaid”, Airtel said it was using 5G slicing, which was globally adopted practice, did not violate net-neutrality norms, and was fully compliant with regulations issued by Trai and the government. 

The Sunil Mittal-led company has offered to share live network data with authorities and be accountable for benchmarks on the quality of service. In its submission to the parliamentary panel and to DoT, Airtel said its service was content neutral and involves no blocking, throttling, preferential treatment, or zero rating.

 

What is 5G slicing? 

This is creating segments within a telecom carrier’s network for specialised use, such as building fast lanes with low latency or dedicated lanes ensuring all-time connectivity. Services based on 5G slicing are there in markets like Singapore, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Malaysia. 

“Network slicing is the only proven large scale monetisation model on 5G today and is foundational to future 6G networks. For India to stay competitive, embracing such technology advancements is essential,” Airtel is learnt to have told the panel. 

Its argument is that 5G slicing makes the network more efficient and creates more capacity, which can be used in a targeted manner for a superior experience.

 

Are there global precedents for 5G slicing? 

Singapore-based player Singtel in 2022 deployed the world’s first commercial 5G network slice and tested it during the Grand Prix season that year, when its “Sports Plus” subscribers could experience the high-speed connectivity and ultra-low latency of the dedicated 5G network slice. 

The company, a shareholder in Bharti Airtel, introduced a priority access network slice in 2023, and began commercial monetisation in 2024, according to an Ericsson study. 

Players in South Korea, China, Japan, Germany and more have permitted differentiated network services and 5G slicing, particularly for enterprise and mission-critical applications. 

“The emerging global approach is to regulate anti-competitive behaviour, not the technology itself,” said Vinish Bawa, telecom practice leader, PwC India. 

“The debate is less about technology and more about timing and monetisation. Operators with stronger 5G coverage, enterprise demand, and standalone (SA) network readiness see slicing as an immediate revenue opportunity, while others believe the ecosystem, devices, and use cases need to mature before benefits can be realised at scale,” he added. 

If it’s simply progress in technology, why has it triggered the net neutrality policy debate? 

“Airtel’s plan in question does not violate net neutrality because it does not discriminate between different types of internet content, services, platforms, etc. It is not a specialised service either, for which net-neutrality rules have separate provisions,” said Mahesh Uppal, director (policy, regulation, and strategy), Com First India, an advisory firm. 

A sector expert added: “The key test is whether specific applications, websites, or content providers are being favoured or discriminated against. If prioritisation is user tier-based rather than being content-based, it is not essentially a net-neutrality violation.”

 

What is the existing stand of Trai on net neutrality and 5G slicing? 

Norms on net neutrality in India prohibit engaging in blocking, throttling, or paid prioritisation of content, mandating equal internet access to all. Charging different prices based on content, too, is prohibited, which means that “zero-rating” platforms, which offer free access to specific websites or apps, are barred. 

However, exceptions for services such as autonomous vehicles, remote surgery, or critical Internet of Things, which require managed parameters on the quality of service, are permitted. So are reasonable, transparent, and non-discriminatory practices on network management. The government is yet to define these. Trai should take a relook at these regulations, some experts said. 

“It would be useful to reexamine the regulation. While the Airtel plan does not violate net-neutrality provisions, the use of network slicing can, in some cases, does. For instance, you can use network slicing to favour a particular internet service, eg video content, over other types of content,” Uppal added.