Reliance Jio's Bold 5G Play: Is Net Neutrality About to Change for Indian Telecom?

Telecom

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Updated on 13 Nov 2025, 02:45 pm

Reliance Jio has urged the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to adopt a more flexible stance on Net Neutrality, arguing that the principle is evolving globally alongside market and technological advancements. The company revealed that it is receiving proposals to launch tariff products based on 5G Standalone (SA) network slicing technology. Examples of these potential products include a dedicated slice for a defined upload speed and another optimized for low-latency gaming. Jio pointed to the stances of regulators like Ofcom in the UK, which permits premium quality retail offers and new 'specialised services,' and the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which repealed net neutrality rules based on market dynamics, as precedents for TRAI to consider. Jio believes that TRAI should recognize traffic management and technology-centric innovations like network slicing and specialized services within the same physical broadband infrastructure. These comments are part of TRAI's consultation on spectrum auctions, following earlier DoT directives on Net Neutrality principles in 2018.

Impact This development could significantly reshape the Indian telecom market. If TRAI adopts a flexible approach, Reliance Jio and other operators may be able to create new, tiered revenue streams by offering specialized network services. This could lead to greater innovation and potentially better service quality for specific applications, but it also raises concerns about equitable internet access and potential price discrimination for consumers. The regulatory decision will be crucial for the future of internet services in India. Impact Rating: 8/10

Difficult Terms * **Net Neutrality**: The principle that Internet service providers should treat all internet data equally, without discriminating or charging differently based on user, content, website, platform, application, or method of communication. * **TRAI**: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, the statutory body that regulates the telecommunications sector in India. * **Reliance Jio**: A major Indian telecommunications company, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited. * **5G**: The fifth generation of cellular network technology, offering significantly faster speeds, lower latency, and higher capacity than previous generations. * **5G Standalone (SA)**: A type of 5G network that operates independently, without relying on existing 4G infrastructure, enabling advanced features like network slicing. * **Network Slicing**: A technology that allows a mobile network to be divided into multiple virtual networks, each optimized for specific applications or user needs (e.g., high speed, low latency). * **Ofcom**: The Communications regulator for the UK's broadcasting, telecommunications, and postal services. * **FCC**: Federal Communications Commission, the United States government agency responsible for regulating interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable. * **Spectrum Auctions**: A process by which governments sell licenses to use specific radio frequencies (spectrum) to telecommunication companies.