Amid ongoing regulatory scrutiny, Bharti Airtel has rebranded its Priority Postpaid offering launched just last month. The service will now be called ‘Fast Lane’, and it will retain the underlying 5G network-slicing feature that enables better and stable interned speeds for postpaid customers.
Airtel has removed the ‘Priority Postpaid’ reference from all its promotions, including its website and app, as well as from service indicator on mobile phones. Users have reported ‘Fast Lane’ service branding on their handsets instead of the Priority branding visible earlier.
The telecom operator said on the development that the new postpaid service continues and the only change has been made in the branding of the offering.
A company spokesperson told the media that the offering has not been withdrawn and there was no question of doing it. The spokesperson added that Airtel has received a positive response from users on the new postpaid feature which uses 5G slicing technology.
The rebranding is part of the original plan, said the company, adding the initial ‘Priority Postpaid’ branding was limited to usage during the launch campaign period only, which has now concluded.
The spokesperson said as the launch campaign has come to a conclusion, the updated signal descriptor showcases what the company is offering to its postpaid users — ‘Fast Lane’.
Every Airtel postpaid user who has a 5G-capable device with minimum software requirements will continue to remain on a slice and get faster internet speeds, unlimited data and exceptional service, the spokesperson added.
The company said the deployment of the 5G network slicing technology along with the Standalone 5G network has resulted in enhanced network efficiency across its customer base.
It added that the comprehensive data available so far, which has also been shared with telecom regulator TRAI, demonstrates that prepaid users have reported no degradation in services due to the launch of the new postpaid feature and they continue to enjoy the same network experience which they have been enjoying so far.
The new postpaid offering had come under regulatory and parliamentary scrutiny over the possible violation of net neutrality regulations. TRAI continues to monitor the new Airtel postpaid feature to ensure it complies with all existing regulations.