What is common, what is special… Internet should be equal for everyone, right? This is called net neutrality, isn’t it? But looking at Airtel’s new plan, it seems that ‘net neutrality’ is going to get oil! Yes, the company has launched Priority Postpaid Plan, which is now being rebranded as Fast Lane. If we explain this plan in two lines then

All it means is to spare more money, take an expensive plan and enjoy superfast internet even in crowded areas. Internet will continue to work even at places where network is generally not available.

Debate broke out on net neutrality

Let us tell you that telecom company Bharti Airtel has changed the name of its postpaid plan, which had started a new debate on Net Neutrality in the country. Net neutrality means rules for equal internet access for all. The company has now renamed its ‘Priority Postpaid’ service as ‘Fast Lane’. Now many postpaid users of Airtel have started seeing Fast Lane written along with the network signal on their mobile screens and the company has also made this change on its website.

On this whole issue, when Airtel spokesperson was asked whether seeing the growing uproar, they had discontinued this VIP plan? So he flatly refused. The spokesperson said that there is no question of withdrawing the plan, only that our launch campaign is over and now we are calling it ‘Fast Lane’, which aptly describes our service. The company claims that postpaid customers who choose this plan and use 5G phones will always get blazing speed, unlimited data and excellent service.

But this is where the real problem lies. Airtel is using Network Slicing technology for this. This means that the company will reserve a large and premium portion of its entire network only for high-end postpaid customers. For example, if you are in a heavily crowded market or stadium where the internet gets interrupted, even in these ‘fast lane’ internet you will gallop without any interruption.

What did Airtel say?

However, Airtel claims that this VIP treatment will not have any adverse impact on the internet of common prepaid customers and they have also handed over all the data related to it to the regulator (TRAI). But the government and the Standing Committee of Parliament are not able to digest this argument.

Government worried

The parliamentary committee led by BJP leader Nishikant Dubey has clearly expressed concern that due to such priority plans of some companies, the rights of crores of poor and common prepaid mobile users of the country can be compromised, which is against the rules of net neutrality. The committee has sought a reply from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and TRAI within 25 days on whether this is really discrimination against the general public?