Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, May 19: Bharti Airtel on Tuesday launched “Priority Postpaid”, a new service powered by 5G slicing technology aimed at offering faster, more reliable and consistent connectivity to postpaid users, especially during periods of heavy network congestion.
The launch marks India’s first commercial deployment of a slicing-based 5G service and comes amid growing competition in the telecom sector, where companies are increasingly focusing on premium offerings and customer retention.
Airtel said the service has been designed for postpaid users who require uninterrupted connectivity for work, entertainment and online collaboration.
The telecom operator stated that it has upgraded its 5G network with advanced slicing capabilities that allow dynamic segmentation of network resources, ensuring prioritised service for subscribers using the new offering.
Network slicing, considered a key feature of standalone 5G architecture, enables telecom companies to allocate dedicated network capacity for specific users or applications. Airtel said the technology would improve network efficiency and provide a more stable experience even in crowded locations such as concerts, markets or while travelling.
Shashwat Sharma, Managing Director and CEO of Airtel India, said the new offering was aimed at delivering dependable connectivity in real-world situations.
“Priority Postpaid is our latest innovation powered by 5G slicing technology. It provides a superior, more reliable and dependable experience to our customers,” he said.
The company noted that telecom operators in countries such as the United States, Singapore, United Kingdom and Malaysia have already rolled out similar slicing-based 5G services.
Airtel said the Priority service would be available across all its postpaid plans and existing postpaid customers would automatically receive the benefits. Prepaid users can switch to postpaid plans through the Airtel app or Airtel stores.
The company has also bundled several digital services with the plans. The Rs 449 individual plan includes Airtel Xstream Play, Adobe Express Premium and 100 GB cloud storage. Higher family plans offer benefits such as Amazon Prime, JioHotstar, Apple TV+, Apple Music and Netflix.
Customers with compatible 5G standalone-enabled smartphones running the latest software versions will be able to access the service. Airtel said users can check device compatibility and software updates through its app.
The telecom company also reported strong growth in average revenue per user (ARPU), which rose to Rs 257 in the March quarter from Rs 245 a year earlier. Airtel added around 0.8 million subscribers during the quarter, taking its total postpaid customer base to 29 million.