Reliance Jio has reportedly urged the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to review existing net neutrality rules to enable consumers to benefit from innovations supported by 5G standalone (SA) technology. The operator has essentially proposed differentiated tariff offerings enabled by 5G network slicing for specific use cases such as guaranteed upload speeds or low-latency gaming.
The current net neutrality framework requires that all internet traffic be treated equally, preventing operators from blocking, throttling, or prioritising any content or applications. These rules were enforced in 2016 when services like Facebook’s Free Basics and Airtel Zero were discontinued for being inconsistent with net neutrality principles.
Further, the arrival of 5G SA introduces network slicing, a capability that allows operators to create multiple virtual networks on the same physical infrastructure, each customised for different user groups or applications. In this context, Jio has told TRAI that regulatory flexibility is needed to allow such specialised services on a shared broadband medium while ensuring that ordinary users’ experiences remain unaffected.
Jio has also pointed out that global net neutrality frameworks are evolving with technological and market developments. In the US, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has repealed stringent net neutrality rules, enabling differentiated service options. In the UK, Ofcom has introduced new parameters allowing premium retail offerings, specialised services, traffic management, and zero-rating under transparent conditions. Citing these examples, Jio has urged TRAI to adopt a more nuanced view and allow network slicing and managed services to coexist with existing net neutrality obligations.
According to analysts, TRAI and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) have so far indicated that network slicing does not inherently violate net neutrality, provided users’ overall experiences are not degraded. However, they noted that the issue remains a regulatory grey area, and Jio may be seeking greater clarity from the regulator.
