By Kavita Mistry 
Reliance Jio has urged the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) to re-examine the country’s net neutrality rules to enable new 5G standalone (SA) services. According to Jio executives, India’s regulatory framework—framed nearly a decade ago—is no longer aligned with the technological capabilities of modern telecom networks. The telco argues that consumers should be allowed to benefit from differentiated service tiers made possible through 5G network slicing.
What Jio Is Proposing
Jio is advocating for the rollout of specialised tariff plans based on 5G network slicing. These services could offer guaranteed upload speeds, ultra-low latency gaming, enterprise-grade reliability, or enhanced streaming performance. With network slicing, operators can partition a single physical network into multiple virtual slices—each optimised for different needs—without undermining the experience of ordinary users.
This, Jio says, is fundamentally different from earlier controversial practices like Facebook’s Free Basics or Airtel Zero, where entire platforms or apps received preferential treatment.
India’s Net Neutrality Framework: A Quick Recall
India adopted strict net neutrality rules in 2016, ensuring all internet traffic is treated equally. Operators were barred from blocking, throttling, or prioritising content. These rules emerged after public backlash against selective services promoted by Facebook and Airtel, which regulators deemed discriminatory.
However, with 5G SA now operational, the industry argues that the definition of “equal treatment” needs modern reinterpretation to allow innovation while ensuring fairness.
Global Trends Support a Flexible Approach
Jio has highlighted that global net neutrality norms are evolving.
- US: The FCC rolled back strict neutrality rules, allowing differentiated service levels.
- UK: Ofcom has permitted premium retail offerings, specialised services, and zero-rating under transparent conditions.
Jio believes India should similarly adopt a nuanced, innovation-friendly stance that recognises network slicing as a legitimate service—not a violation.
Regulators Acknowledge the Grey Area
Analysts note that both Trai and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) have informally indicated that network slicing does not inherently violate net neutrality, provided no user’s internet experience is degraded. Still, the area remains legally ambiguous.
Given the controversies of the past, including the backlash against Free Basics and Airtel Zero, analysts say Jio wants explicit regulatory clarity before commercially launching any network-slicing-based services.
The Road Ahead
If Trai revisits the policy, India could set a modernised net neutrality framework balancing innovation, consumer choice, and fair internet access—paving the way for a new wave of 5G-powered digital services.