Why Trai's draft network slicing norms have revived net neutrality debate

Trai has proposed norms for 5G network slicing. Its draft has revived questions over whether differentiated services can coexist with India's net neutrality framework

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) on Wednesday proposed new quality of service (QoS) rules to enable network slicing in 5G networks. The development could allow telecom operators to offer differentiated services with guaranteed speeds and latency.

 

While the regulator said the framework is intended to ensure specialised services do not compromise network performance, the proposal has revived the debate around net neutrality, which require internet service providers to treat all internet traffic equally.

What has Trai proposed?

Trai's consultation paper proposed amendments to the Standards of Quality of Service of Access (Wireline and Wireless) and Broadband (Wireline and Wireless) Service Regulations, 2024 to formally bring network slicing within India's QoS framework.

 

The draft defined a Physical Resource Block (PRB) as the basic unit used by 4G LTE and 5G networks to allocate radio resources. It proposes new QoS parameters based on PRB utilisation to monitor network loading and capacity.

 

Among the key proposals:

• Service providers planning a new 5G network slice must submit details to TRAI at least 21 days before launch and demonstrate that sufficient network capacity is available.
• Less than 1 per cent of tested 5G cells should have daily PRB utilisation exceeding 80 per cent.
• If PRB utilisation remains above 80 per cent for five days in a month, operators must augment capacity. If congestion persists, those cells should be removed from network slicing.
• Every enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) network slice will be treated as a separate tariff offering and will have to meet QoS standards independently.

The draft also proposed technology-wise speed commitments for 4G and 5G tariff plans. If measured download or upload speeds fall below declared speeds, operators must notify affected subscribers and take corrective action before filing the next compliance report. 

Why is Trai doing this?

Network slicing would allow operators to partition a single 5G network into multiple virtual networks, each configured for different performance requirements. One slice may prioritise ultra-low latency for industrial automation or remote healthcare, while another may be designed for ordinary mobile broadband.

 

Trai’s consultation paper said operators must demonstrate sufficient capacity before launching such slices and monitor congestion through PRB utilisation so that specialised services do not affect the performance experienced by other users.

 

The proposal followed Bharti Airtel's commercial rollout of network slicing for enterprise customers.

 

Airtel has argued that differentiated network capabilities are essential for advanced industrial and business applications. However, Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea have previously expressed reservations, arguing that preferential treatment for some traffic could discriminate against other subscribers, according to earlier industry discussions referenced in Trai’s consultation process.

Why has the net neutrality debate returned?

The draft has revived questions over whether differentiated quality-of-service under network slicing can coexist with India's net neutrality rules, which require telecom operators to treat internet traffic equally.

 

Critics have argued that if operators reserve network resources for premium slices during congestion, ordinary users could receive lower-quality service, creating "fast lanes" for those willing to pay more.

What do critics say?

The debate is not over whether network slicing should be allowed, but over how it should be regulated without undermining open internet principles.

 

Telecom researchers say the challenge is not the use of network slicing itself, but how resources are allocated when networks become congested. A 2026 review in the Pertanika Journal of Science & Technology said user-centric QoS frameworks could improve service differentiation through software-defined networking, machine learning and network slicing, but they also introduce scalability, latency and operational challenges.

 

The review also cautioned that reserving bandwidth for premium users could disadvantage basic subscribers during periods of network congestion if resource allocation is not carefully balanced. It added that the user-centric QoS provisioning should optimise resource allocation across both services and users.

 

Industry commentators have also questioned whether network slicing could eventually be extended to premium consumer mobile plans with guaranteed speeds. Trai has not proposed such a framework. Instead, the consultation paper seeks stakeholder comments on the QoS safeguards before finalising the regulations.

How other countries regulate network slicing

India is not the first jurisdiction to develop QoS rules around network slicing.

 

The European Union, through the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC), permits specialised services requiring guaranteed quality, such as connected healthcare and autonomous transport, provided they do not degrade ordinary internet access.

 

In the United Kingdom, Ofcom distinguishes specialised enterprise services from public internet services while continuing to monitor compliance with open internet obligations.

 

Singapore's Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) permits operators to offer end-to-end network slicing for enterprise use under defined service quality commitments.

 

In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allows traffic management and specialised network capabilities while requiring baseline broadband services to remain available to all users.

 

Trai’s proposal follows a similar approach as it seeks to regulate, rather than prohibiting network slicing, it through measurable QoS benchmarks, capacity requirements and periodic compliance reporting.

 

Stakeholders can submit comments on the draft until August 26, while counter-comments have been invited until September 7.