Bharti Airtel, India’s second-largest telecom operator, on Tuesday launched “Priority Postpaid”, a new service aimed at improving network experience for postpaid users through 5G slicing technology, as the company sharpens its focus on premium consumers seeking uninterrupted connectivity during high-traffic situations.
The company said the service has been designed for customers who rely heavily on stable mobile connectivity for work calls, streaming, online collaboration and daily digital usage, especially in crowded or congested environments.
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With the launch, Airtel has upgraded its 5G network with slicing capabilities that intelligently segment network capacity to prioritise postpaid users, enabling more stable and dependable connectivity even during periods of high network demand.
The launch marks the first deployment of slicing-based 5G services in India, according to the company. Similar services have already been introduced in countries including the US, Singapore, the UK and Malaysia.
“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. It provides a superior, more reliable, and dependable experience to our customers — whether they are attending a client call in traffic, or streaming at a packed concert, or booking a cab in a crowded market," Shashwat Sharma, MD and CEO, Airtel India said.
The telecom operator said the upgraded network architecture makes the system more efficient by creating additional capacity and enabling targeted allocation of resources to priority users. Airtel said this would help maintain service quality in situations where conventional mobile networks often face congestion.
Priority service will be available across all Airtel postpaid plans, with existing users set to receive the benefits automatically. Prepaid users can migrate to the new service through the Airtel app or by visiting Airtel stores, the company said.
| Plan | Type | Key benefits | Additional content benefits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rs 449 + GST | Individual | Priority on 5G with Fastlane technology, fraud detection and spam alerts, unlimited data and calling, 3000 SMS | Airtel Xstream Play, Adobe Express Premium, 100 GB cloud storage |
| Rs 699 + GST | Family of 2 | All benefits of Rs 449 plan | Amazon Prime, JioHotstar |
| Rs 999 + GST | Family of 3 | All benefits of lower plans | Apple TV+, Apple Music |
| Rs 1,199 + GST | Family of 4 | Priority services and bundled benefits | Expanded family sharing benefits |
| Rs 1,749 + GST | Family of 5 | All benefits of premium plans | Netflix |
The telco major added that customers can access the Priority service on compatible 5G standalone-enabled smartphones running the latest software version. Users awaiting software upgrades will receive notifications in the settings section of their devices, while device compatibility can also be checked through the Airtel app.
