Reliance Jio backs Bharti Airtel's May 19 5G slicing plan

TL;DR: Reliance Jio told an Indian government select committee that Bharti Airtel's 5G network slicing-based Priority Postpaid service, launched on May 19, is legitimate and does not violate net neutrality rules.

Reliance Jio supported Bharti Airtel's position on its 5G network slicing-based Priority Postpaid service in submissions to a select committee reviewing the issue in India. The service was launched by Bharti Airtel on May 19, and the debate centers on whether it breaches net neutrality rules.

Bharti Airtel had earlier filed a five-page submission to the department's select committee defending the Priority Postpaid plan. Airtel said the service uses 5G network slicing, a method that creates a dedicated virtual segment of a mobile network for a specific service level, and argued that this makes the offer compliant with existing rules.

The case concerns how Indian authorities interpret net neutrality in relation to differentiated 5G services. Reliance Jio's support for Airtel indicates that two of India's largest mobile network operators, or MNOs, share the view that a 5G slicing-based premium service can operate within the current regulatory framework.

Related questions

• What is Bharti Airtel's Priority Postpaid service?
• What is 5G network slicing and how does it work?
• Why is Bharti Airtel's May 19 plan being reviewed under net neutrality rules?
• What position did Reliance Jio take before the select committee?