Jio's Unexpected Support for Airtel

Reliance Jio has backed Airtel's Priority Postpaid service, signaling industry-wide support for 5G network slicing as operators seek new monetization avenues.

This development comes shortly after Airtel launched Priority Postpaid, which it claims is India's first mobile service based on network slicing.

The service promises postpaid customers a more stable and dependable network experience during network congestion by leveraging 5G network-slicing capabilities.

Airtel stated, "Priority Postpaid is implemented in a content-neutral manner and is fully consistent with the existing TRAI and DoT framework.

There is no blocking, throttling, content-specific prioritisation, zero-rating, or preferential treatment of any application." Airtel emphasized that the Priority feature does not degrade the quality of service for any customer, whether prepaid or postpaid.

Net Neutrality Concerns

Despite the promise of improved service, Airtel's Priority Postpaid has raised net neutrality concerns.

Critics argue that network slicing could potentially degrade service for prepaid customers.

In response, Jio has expressed support for Airtel's broader position on network slicing and differentiated quality-of-service offerings in a letter to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).

Jio stated, "Network slicing-based service deployment are a legitimate exercise of 5G network capabilities, subject to compliance with the applicable provisions of the Unified License and TRAI regulations."

However, Jio also noted that such services should be offered "in concurrence with and post consultation with the Department." The company suggested that the government should review service level agreement (SLA) terms and other details to ensure alignment with net neutrality principles.

Implications for the Industry

Jio's support for Airtel indicates that it may also be exploring the introduction of network slicing, having already deployed 5G standalone (SA), which is more suitable for this service.

This backing could facilitate Jio's potential launch of network slicing in the future.

Indian telecom operators are under pressure to monetize their investments in acquiring 5G spectrum and building 5G networks.

Besides the success of fixed wireless access (FWA), network slicing-based services present another crucial opportunity for them to monetize their investments.