Bharti Airtel has rebranded its recently launched “Priority” postpaid offering as “Fast Lane”, retaining the same 5G network-slicing technology that promises enhanced speeds and performance for eligible postpaid customers while seeking to sharpen the positioning of the service amid an ongoing debate around net neutrality.
The telecom operator said the change reflects the conclusion of its launch campaign rather than any alteration to the product itself. The service remains available to customers on Airtel’s postpaid plans and continues to offer differentiated network performance through 5G slicing technology.
“There is no question of withdrawal of our new postpaid 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,” an Airtel spokesperson said, adding that the company has seen a favourable response to the offering since its launch.
“In fact, with this launch, we are seeing an improvement in the delivered experience across both prepaid and postpaid users. This is primarily because the deployment of our new standalone network has increased network efficiency for all,” the spokesperson added.
All postpaid users who subscribe to the plan and use a 5G-capable device continue to receive an enhanced experience, including faster speeds, unlimited data and premium service benefits.
“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. In other words, slicing has no impact on the experience for prepaid users. This data has been transparently shared with the regulator,” the spokesperson further said.
Using network slicing, Airtel allocates a dedicated portion of network resources to eligible postpaid users, allowing them to receive faster speeds during periods of congestion.
The service has attracted regulatory and parliamentary attention in recent weeks, with questions raised about whether prioritised network access for a section of users could conflict with net neutrality principles. Airtel has argued that its implementation is consistent with global standards and mirrors deployments in markets including the US, UK, South Korea and Singapore.
Separately, Airtel on Wednesday announced the deployment of more than 2,900 new 5G sites across Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir over the past year. The company said the rollout covers 77 districts and serves more than 28.6 million customers in the region. Airtel said the additional sites will help deliver faster speeds, wider coverage and improved network reliability across urban centres as well as rural and remote locations, supporting rising demand for streaming, digital payments, remote work and other data-intensive services.