The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in a review meeting with telecom companies like Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea (VIL) issued directions to address the problem of unsolicited commercial communication (UCC), according to a report in MoneyControl. A presentation made by Vi (Vodafone Idea) proposed a system that uses AI/ML (Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning) to detect patterns related to fraudulent messages sent from mobile numbers, the report revealed. The regulator has granted Vi permission to conduct a pilot on the basis of which regulations will be drafted to incorporate such measures within the ecosystem. Moreover, it has set May 1 as the deadline to implement AI/ML systems targeting UCC. Why it matters: It is important to note developments emerging out of this meeting as it deals with the issue of spam— a problem that has remained unaddressed despite TRAI’s efforts. A review of these measures can go a long way in identifying gaps in their implementation. It is likely that the problem of spam has persisted partly due to the uneven implementation of measures introduced by TRAI. What else was discussed: The telecom regulator has also called for the introduction of the blockchain-based Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) system for voice calls, Business Standard reported. It is only in place for unsolicited messages at the moment. Furthermore, it has asked entities such as banks, financial institutions, and others to clean up unused headers and templates as soon as possible. Failure to do the same can result in the blocking of their…
