Bharti Airtel has launched Priority Postpaid, described as Indias first commercial 5G network slicing service for postpaid customers.
The service is positioned as an offering that is intended to guarantee faster and more consistent 5G connectivity for Airtel postpaid users. Network slicing requires a 5G standalone (SA) network architecture, and this is the first time that a network slicing service has been launched in India.
Priority Postpaid is available across all of Airtels postpaid plans, with existing postpaid subscribers able to automatically avail themselves of the service; Airtel prepaid users need to migrate to postpaid to start using the Priority Postpaid benefits. Airtel says it upgraded its 5G network to make it more efficient, increase usable capacity, and deliver more consistent connectivity for priority users.
Pricing starts at INR 449 ($4.63) per month for individual customers, scaling up to INR 1,749 ($18) per month for a family of five; the family-of-five plan includes bundling Netflix, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime, and Jio Hotstar alongside priority network access. Airtels average revenue per user (ARPU) is INR 257 (US$2.65) based on March 2026 figures.
COAI director general Lt. Gen. Dr. S.P. Kochhar said network slicing is already launched in markets such as the United States, Singapore, China, and parts of Europe, and said bringing network slicing to India reflects the progress of Indias telecom ecosystem.
On net neutrality, Priority Postpaid is framed as potentially reopening the debate because it provides superior services to select users; the net neutrality debate broke out about a decade ago around Facebook (now Meta) launching Free Basics, and in 2015 Airtel introduced Airtel Zero. Unlike Airtel Zero, Priority Postpaid does not prioritize specific apps or websites, though it could still create differentiated network experiences among users during heavy network congestion.redundant connectivity for business.
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