The TRAI’s proposals aim to ensure that the delivery of premium services over a network slice do not risk a worse experience for other consumers
The proposals would amend QoS regulations that came into force less than two years ago
On 5 August 2026, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) published a consultation paper proposing amendments to its 2024 Quality of Service (QoS) regulations, focusing on network slicing, coverage maps and network outages. The Standards of Quality of Service of Access (Wireline and Wireless) and Broadband (Wireline and Wireless) Service Regulations, provided an updated QoS framework for monitoring the quality of fixed and mobile services, with measures to improve transparency for consumers. The proposed amendments aim to build on this framework following feedback from stakeholders, such as operators and industry groups, evolving technological developments, including emerging 5G capabilities, and increasing consumer expectations for reliable and high-quality digital connectivity. The consultation closes on 28 August 2026, with changes intended to take effect from 1 October 2026.
Operators would have to prove that they have sufficient capacity before launching network slicing
The proposed amendments would add regulatory guardrails for commercial 5G network slicing to ensure that premium connectivity services do not degrade service quality for regular mobile users. Operators would be required to submit details to the TRAI to demonstrate sufficient capacity at least 21 days before launching propositions that use a network slice and monitor physical resource block (PRB) utilisation, which measures the percentage of data traffic compared to total capacity in a network cell, once this has launched. If PRB utilisation exceeds 80% during its peak busy hour for at least five days in a month, indicating network congestion, the operator would need to take corrective action, such as adding more capacity. If utilisation cannot be reduced below 80% after a month, the cells must be removed from the slice. This proposal comes after Bharti Airtel launched its “Fast Lane” service in May 2026; a network slicing based service for postpaid 5G customers, allowing users to access faster speeds during network congestion. While the service claims to provide a more reliable network experience, it raised net neutrality concerns from those who argued that it could degrade the experience for prepaid customers. The TRAI noted that its proposed framework aligns with the approaches from various regulators to network slicing, including the EU’s Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC), which states that specialised services may only be provided when sufficient network capacity is available and this does not degrade the general quality of services. Similarly, in the UK, Ofcom’s guidance on net neutrality from 2023 permits differentiated services provided that they are not detrimental to the general quality of internet access for end users.
The proposals would introduce accuracy requirements for coverage maps and rules around network outages
Alongside rules around network slicing, the TRAI has proposed a minimum 98% accuracy requirement for geospatial coverage maps. Operators would be required to conduct physical or virtual drive tests to validate these maps, especially in locations where consumers have reported poor coverage in the past three months. While operators were required to provide coverage maps under the 2024 regulations, these rules around accuracy and drive tests are new – and go further than obligations imposed in other countries such as Sweden and the UK. The regulator also proposed updates to rules regarding significant network outages, which it defines as when service is unavailable for a continuous period of over four hours, or where more than 10% of subscribers in the area experience complete loss of service for over four hours. If a significant network outage continues for more than 24 hours, operators have to provide postpaid subscribers with proportional rebates and prepaid subscribers with an extension of their plan proportional to the length of the network outage. Under the amendments, operators would also have to report the incident to the TRAI within 24 hours of the start of the outage.
