Govt Directs Jio, Airtel, Vi, and BSNL to Trial TCIL’s Anti-Spam Solution
New Delhi, January 29: In a significant move to combat spam and fraudulent communications, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has directed major Indian telecom operators, including Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea (Vi), and BSNL, to trial an anti-spam solution developed by Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL).
TCIL, a government-run body based in Delhi, has agreed to provide its anti-spam solution for free to telecom operators for an initial trial period of three months. During this phase, the telcos will test the solution’s efficiency and provide feedback to the government.
TCIL’s Indigenous Anti-Spam Technology
According to a report by The Economic Times (ET), TCIL has co-developed its SMS transparency and anti-spam solution in partnership with a domestic tech firm. The system aims to block fraudulent and spam messages, a long-standing concern for Indian mobile users.
- Bharti Airtel has already deployed its own real-time anti-spam technology, which alerts users to suspicious calls and texts.
- BSNL has introduced a similar anti-spam mechanism, which was showcased at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2024.
TRAI’s Efforts to Curb Spam and Fraudulent Communications
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has been actively pushing for measures to reduce Unsolicited Commercial Communications (UCC). Despite multiple regulatory interventions, telcos have struggled to completely block spam calls and messages, resulting in significant financial losses for mobile users due to fraud.
To validate its Proof of Concept (PoC), TCIL previously tested its anti-spam solution on MTNL’s (Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited) network, demonstrating its effectiveness in blocking spam voice and data services in a live environment.
Govt Directs Jio, Airtel, Vi, and BSNL to Trial TCIL’s Anti-Spam Solution
