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Bharti Airtel has reached a major milestone by deploying India's first commercial 5G network slicing, developed with telecom equipment maker Ericsson. This groundbreaking initiative aims to strengthen India's and Bharti Airtel's leading positions in mobile technology.
Priority Access for Postpaid Customers
The new service, announced Tuesday, enables Bharti Airtel to provide a unique experience for its postpaid subscribers. Customers using this dedicated network slice will get priority access to 5G data, guaranteeing a seamless connection even when network traffic is high. This is built on the 5G standalone architecture Airtel is rolling out across its Indian sites.
Global Context and Future Potential
Ericsson CEO Börje Ekholm praised the launch, stating, "Congratulations to India and airtel for once again being at the forefront of 5G innovation." He added that this move enhances India's status as a digitally advanced nation by enabling distinct connectivity services. Globally, network slicing is seen as the next major step in 5G evolution, with operators in the US, UK, Singapore, Malaysia, and China already using it to improve customer experiences.
Monetizing 5G Assets
This advanced network slicing capability is expected to speed up the rollout of new AI devices and applications that need consistent low latency and uninterrupted performance. Ericsson's core network technology was key to this deployment, marking an early use case designed to help Bharti Airtel gain value from its significant 5G investments in India. Competitor Reliance Jio is also looking into similar slicing-based applications for consumers, following its use in fixed-wireless-access services.