In a pioneering move to curb the country’s spam menace, Bharti Airtel (“Airtel”), today, launched India’s first network-based, AI-powered spam detection solution that will significantly solve the issue of spam calls and messages for its customers. A first-of-its-kind solution by a telecom service provider in the country, the tool will alert customers in real-time to all suspected spam calls and SMSes. The solution is free of cost and will get auto-activated for all Airtel customers without them having to raise a service request or download an app.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.Developed in-house by Airtel’s data scientists, the AI-powered solution uses a proprietary algorithm to identify and classify calls and SMSes as “Suspected SPAM”. The network powered by state-of-the-art AI algorithm analyses various parameters such as the caller or sender’s usage patterns, call/SMS frequency, call duration amongst several others, on a real time basis. By cross-referencing this information against known spam patterns, the system flags suspected spam calls and SMSes accurately.