Airtel introduces a network solution powered by AI for Spam Detection

In an effort to further assist its consumers with the problem of spam calls and messages, Bharti Airtel today announced the debut of what it describes as India's first network-based, AI-powered spam detection solution. Every day, 3 million SMS messages and 100 million spam calls are reported by Airtel's AI solution, which it claims processes 1 trillion records in real-time.

As per the company, this innovative solution is the first of its type offered by a telecom service provider in the nation. It is a real-time tool that would notify users of any suspected spam calls or SMS messages. According to Airtel, there is no cost associated with the solution, and it will be activated immediately for all users without requiring them to download an app or submit a service request. 

The AI-powered solution, created in-house by Airtel's data scientists, classifies calls and SMSs as "Suspected SPAM" based on a proprietary algorithm. Modern AI algorithms powering the network analyze a number of parameters in real time, including caller or sender usage trends, call/SMS frequency, and call duration, among many others. Through cross-referencing this data with established spam trends, the system appropriately identifies calls and SMSs that may be fraudulent.

Gopal Vittal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Bharti Airtel said, “Spam has become a menace for customers. We have spent the last twelve months to solve this comprehensively. Today marks a milestone as we launch the country’s first AI-powered spam free network that will shield our customers from the continuous onslaught of intrusive and unwanted communications”.

“Designed as a dual-layer protection, the solution has two filters – one at the network layer and the second at the IT systems layer. Every call and SMS passes through this dual-layered AI shield. In 2 milliseconds our solution processes 1.5 billion messages and 2.5 billion calls every day. This is equivalent to processing 1 trillion records on a real time basis using the power of AI. Our solution has been able to successfully identify 100 million potential spam calls and 3 million spam SMSes originating every day. For us, keeping our customers secure is a burning priority.” Vittal added.

Furthermore, Airtel said that the solution notifies users of any harmful links they may have received by SMS. To prevent customers from unintentionally clicking on dubious links, Airtel has created a centralized database of banned URLs and scaeach SMS in real time using an advanced artificial intelligence system. Anomalies like frequent IMEI changes, which are frequently indicative of fraudulent activity, can also be picked up by the solution. The business is guaranteeing its clients the highest level of security against the constantly changing panorama of spam and fraud threats by stacking these preventative measures.

Government Instructions

Ten-digit numbers with the prefix 160 have been assigned by the Government of India (GoI) for service and transactional calls. When making transactional or service calls, customers can anticipate receiving calls from these 160-prefix series, which are allotted to banks, mutual funds, insurance companies, stockbrokers, and other financial institutions as well as corporates, enterprises, SMEs, and big and small organizations.



Additionally, users who have enrolled to receive promotional calls and have not chosen to disable their phones will still receive them from a 10-digit number prefixed with 140.