Jio Opposes TRAI's 80% Network Slicing Threshold

Reliance Jio, India's largest telecom operator, has asked the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to retract proposed limits on 5G network slicing. The company argues that exceeding an 80% utilization threshold for Physical Resource Blocks (PRB) does not automatically equate to network congestion or a decline in service quality.

In its counter-comments submitted on September 15 to TRAI's consultation on amendments to the 2024 Quality of Service (QoS) regulations, Jio opposed mandatory prior notification for network slicing changes and restrictions tied to the 80% PRB utilization limit. Jio maintains that resource utilization is not a reliable proxy for the actual quality of experience customers receive.

The operator cited its own laboratory and field data, suggesting that modern 5G networks can operate efficiently even with high resource utilization. Jio warned that mandating capacity augmentation or customer notifications upon crossing the 80% threshold could lead to unnecessary investments and false alarms about congestion, even when customers experience no service degradation.

Jio also reiterated its opposition to TRAI's proposal for advance notification requirements when creating new network slices. Competitor Airtel has voiced similar concerns, stating that such a notification requirement could delay enterprise deployments and specialized applications. Meanwhile, the Broadband India Forum (BIF) has cautioned that application-specific prioritization could violate net neutrality principles.