Airtel’s move could also increase pressure on Indian operators to launch similar premium connectivity offerings based on advanced 5G capabilities
In sum – what to know:
ARPU potential – GlobalData said Airtel’s “Priority Postpaid” offering could help monetize network quality and encourage upgrades to higher-value postpaid plans.
SA 5G progress – The analyst firm said the launch highlights Airtel’s progress in commercializing standalone 5G capabilities through consumer-facing services.
Competitive pressure – GlobalData expects Airtel’s move to increase pressure on Indian operators to introduce premium connectivity offerings based on advanced 5G features.
Indian carrier Bharti Airtel’s recent launch of a slicing-based premium postpaid service could support broader efforts by Indian telecom operators to monetize 5G investments through differentiated connectivity experiences and premium service tiers, according to a GlobalData analyst
Airtel has recently launched “Priority Postpaid”, a consumer service that uses 5G slicing technology to provide prioritized network resources for its postpaid users during periods of high network congestion. The operator said the service is intended to deliver more stable connectivity for applications including video streaming, online collaboration, and mobile productivity.
In comments shared with RCR Wireless News, Pradeepthi Kantipudi, associate project manager at GlobalData, said the launch represents a notable development for India’s telecom market, where operators have historically struggled to generate direct revenue from 5G deployments.
“The Indian telecom sector for long has struggled to find significant 5G monetization opportunities with telcos having launched their 5G services in the country without any distinct pricing premium, effectively treating it as a network upgrade rather than new revenue stream,” Kantipudi said.
According to Kantipudi, Airtel’s strategy differs because it focuses on monetizing quality of service rather than data consumption volumes.
The recently launches 5G slicing offering however changes the narrative by creating a strong value proposition, which monetizes quality of service instead of data consumption, the analyst said.
Kantipudi added that the offering could help Airtel improve average revenue per user (ARPU) by encouraging high-value prepaid subscribers to migrate toward premium postpaid plans. “The unique selling proposition of uninterrupted, prioritized access, especially appealing to professionals and digital-first consumers, is also likely to encourage prepaid customers to upgrade to higher-ARPU postpaid plans,” she said.
The analyst also said the launch demonstrates Airtel’s progress in deploying advanced standalone 5G capabilities. Network slicing typically requires standalone 5G core infrastructure because it enables operators to create virtualized network environments optimized for different applications and customer groups.
“The launch demonstrates that Bharti Airtel has reached an important milestone in deploying advanced standalone 5G capabilities, particularly in translating network slicing from a technical feature into a commercial consumer offering,” Kantipudi said.
However, Kantipudi noted that Airtel’s launch does not necessarily place the operator ahead of rival Reliance Jio Infocomm in overall standalone 5G deployment scale or infrastructure maturity.
“Jio still maintains advantages in terms of nationwide SA deployment scale, greenfield 5G architecture, and broader integration of cloud-native infrastructure across its network,” she said.
According to Kantipudi, Airtel’s move could also increase pressure on Indian operators to launch similar premium connectivity offerings based on advanced 5G capabilities.
“It is likely that other Indian operators will follow Airtel’s lead and introduce their own premium connectivity offerings based on advanced 5G features such as network slicing,” she said.
Kantipudi added that competition in India’s postpaid market could increasingly shift toward network experience and differentiated service quality. “This trend could significantly reshape competition in the postpaid market by shifting operator differentiation away from traditional metrics such as data quotas and pricing toward network experience and service quality,” she said.
