5G Network Slicing: In India, the regulatory discussion has become intense regarding the arrangement of network slicing to make the 5G network more specific and as per need. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) presented draft amendments to incorporate 5G network slicing under the Quality of Service (QoS) framework in August 2026. TRAI’s proposal includes provision for disclosure of information before launching a new Network Slice, separate QoS criteria for different Slices and a requirement to keep Physical Resource Block (PRB) Utilization below 80 percent in areas where Network Slicing is applicable.
The most debated issue in this proposal is PRB Utilization. Telecom companies including Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea (Vi) have raised objections to the measure. Companies say that PRB Utilization is an Internal Network Parameter used within the network. According to him, it cannot be decided whether the customers are getting bad quality of service or not based on this statistic alone.
TRAI’s draft sought suggestions from stakeholders regarding changes in QoS rules related to network slicing. The consultation was launched on 5 August 2026 and the deadline for comments was 2 September 2026.
What is 5G Network Slicing?
In a typical mobile network, different types of users and services use the same network infrastructure. But not all service needs are the same. For example, when a person is watching a video on mobile, he mainly needs good speed. On the other hand, an industrial robot may require very low latency. Similarly, security cameras may require a constant and reliable data connection. In Network Slicing, a single 5G network can be divided into different Virtual Network Slices. Each Slice can be assigned Speed, Latency, Reliability and other Network Characteristics as per the specific type of service or customer requirement.
Debate over regulation and network capacity
The main purpose of Network Slicing is to allocate network resources to different services according to their needs. However, it is also important that allocating separate resources for special services does not affect the quality of network service available to general customers.
Keeping this issue in mind, TRAI has considered separate provisions for Network Slicing in its QoS Framework. Telecom operators, on the other hand, are raising questions about linking PRB utilization directly to the actual service experience of customers. Several Service Providers including Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea have given their representations in TRAI’s consultation. Now the further regulatory process will be decided keeping in mind these suggestions and objections.