Bharti Airtel has rebranded its Priority Postpaid service as "Fast Lane," updating the offering's branding while keeping its core feature: enhanced network performance for eligible postpaid users through 5G network slicing. The telecom operator confirmed that the service remains active, despite speculation about its future amid ongoing net neutrality discussions. Airtel's website and mobile network indicators have already started displaying the new Fast Lane branding.
Service Continuation Confirmed
When asked whether the company had discontinued the Priority Postpaid plan, an Airtel spokesperson stated, "There is no question of withdrawal of our new post-paid plan... Our launch campaign has ended. And our descriptor to signal what we are doing – 'Fast Lane' - captures the essence of what we offer. Our postpaid users continue to remain on a slice. So, every user who chooses our postpaid plan and has a 5G-capable device gets an enhanced experience. Faster speeds, unlimited data, and exceptional service."
The service was initially launched last month as Priority Postpaid and utilizes 5G network slicing technology to allocate a dedicated portion of network resources to eligible postpaid subscribers, particularly during high network traffic periods.
Net Neutrality Concerns Under Scrutiny
The launch sparked debate over whether prioritized network access for higher-paying subscribers conflicts with net neutrality principles, which aim to ensure equal and non-discriminatory internet access. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, chaired by BJP leader Nishikant Dubey, raised concerns that such priority plans could affect prepaid users' experience.
Last month, the committee sought responses from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) regarding the impact of 5G network slicing services in countries including Singapore and the United Kingdom. The panel asked both agencies to submit their findings within 25 days before its next meeting.
Airtel's Stance
Airtel has maintained that its network slicing technology does not negatively affect prepaid customers and has shared relevant data with regulators. The company reiterated that the technology operates on a separate network slice while preserving service quality for other users. The spokesperson noted an improvement in delivered experience across both prepaid and postpaid users.
According to Airtel, the deployment of its standalone 5G network has improved overall network efficiency, enabling higher speeds for postpaid customers without reducing service quality for prepaid subscribers. "This is primarily because the deployment of our new standalone network has increased network efficiency for all. Our new postpaid plan is available to all customers in a simple, transparent, and ubiquitous way. Using our slicing technology, we are able to offer our postpaid users enhanced speed. While doing this, we also have comprehensive data to show that prepaid users continue to enjoy the very same experience they have had before we launched this technology," the spokesperson said.
While the service now carries the Fast Lane branding, Airtel's position remains unchanged: the company intends to continue offering network-sliced connectivity to postpaid users, arguing that the technology does not violate net neutrality rules or affect prepaid customers' experience.
