Marking one of the industry firsts that leverages 5G network slicing technology, Bharti Airtel on Tuesday launched ‘Priority Postpaid’, a new premium postpaid service, as the telecom operator looks to differentiate its offerings through superior network experience.

The company said the service uses advanced 5G slicing capabilities to dynamically allocate network resources, enabling postpaid customers to receive more stable and reliable connectivity even during periods of high traffic congestion.

“This service is specially built for busy customers who depend on uninterrupted connectivity for work, entertainment, or online collaboration,” Airtel said in a release on the stock exchanges.

With the launch, Airtel claims to become the first telecom operator in India to commercially introduce slicing-based 5G services for consumers. Similar deployments have already been seen in markets such as the US, Singapore, the UK and Malaysia.

What did Shashwat Sharma say?

“Our focus at Airtel is on delivering meaningful innovations that enhance our customers’ experience. Priority Postpaid is our latest innovation powered by the 5G slicing technology,” Shashwat Sharma, MD & CEO, Airtel said. He added that the service seeks to ensure uninterrupted connectivity for users attending work calls, streaming content, or accessing services in crowded areas.

Experts tracking the industry have viewed network slicing as one of the most commercially relevant applications of standalone 5G architecture, allowing telecom operators to create dedicated virtual segments of network capacity tailored for different customer needs and service quality levels.

Airtel said it has upgraded its 5G infrastructure with advanced slicing capabilities to improve network efficiency and create targeted capacity allocation for premium users.

The Priority service will be available across Airtel’s postpaid portfolio, starting at Rs. 449 plus GST for individual users and going up to Rs. 1,749 plus GST for family plans. Existing Airtel postpaid users will receive the service automatically, while prepaid users can migrate through the Airtel app or retail stores. The service will work on compatible 5G standalone-enabled smartphones with updated software.