New Delhi, May 26 -- A tussle has broken out in India's telecom sector over Bharti Airtel's 5G "Priority Postpaid" plans, with rivals Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea seeking regulatory consultations and government clearance before such services are rolled out commercially, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The debate centres on whether 5G network slicing - which allows telecom operators to create dedicated fast lanes for premium users - discriminates against regular prepaid users by degrading their service quality in a market where network capacity and spectrum remain constrained.

It has also revived questions around whether such "fast lanes" are compatible with India's net-neutrality principles, which prohibit internet p...