India’s 5G network rollout is gaining momentum; however, its ability to harness the full potential of this technology is hindered by the constraints imposed on operators due to the current Net Neutrality Rules. Nevertheless, those who have deployed Stand Alone (SA) networks can still tap into some of its potential, while operators with only Non-Stand Alone (NSA) networks are limited in their ability to utilize slicing, except for enabling private networks. For the latter group, 5G primarily delivers enhanced speeds without a broader range of capabilities. This note aims to discuss the reasons behind this conclusion and explore the hows and whys of the situation.
TRAI’s Tariff Order
On 8th Feb 2016, the TRAI issued an order for Preventing Discriminatory Tariffs for Data Services by the Telecom Operators. The clause 3 of the order on pages 2 & 3 is reproduced below for ready reference.
