Telecom executives from Airtel and Vodafone are advocating a relook at net neutrality principles and call for regulatory flexibility to monetise 5G through network slicing, signaling a push to balance openness with new monetisation models.

Ben Wreschner of Vodafone Group argues for flexibility in open internet regimes, suggesting that connectivity and content can be differentiated without violating neutrality rules to unlock 5G value.

Rahul Vatts of Airtel urges a broader regulatory debate beyond rigid net neutrality, pointing to experiments with 5G slicing that could differentiate services for enterprises and video/communication use cases.

Vatts notes substantial telecom investments and only about 40% fibre coverage in India, emphasizing the need to monetise 5G to justify ongoing and future investments.

Nikhil Pahwa of MediaNama counters the slicing approach, arguing that neutrality enables permissionless innovation and could lead to a fragmented internet economy if slices introduce extra variables.

Both Vatts and Wreschner stress the importance of keeping an open internet while exploring differentiated slices that enhance user experiences without disrupting existing subscribers.

The discussion frames a broader industry debate on balancing net neutrality with network innovation and monetisation opportunities in 5G and beyond.