Airtel Africa has announced that its AI-powered Spam Alert service successfully detected and flagged more than 205 million spam SMS messages across 13 of its 14 operating markets in just six months.
The Spam Alert service, offered free of charge to all Airtel subscribers, identifies suspicious SMS messages, prefixes them with “SPAM Alert,” and provides real-time notifications.
This innovation eliminates the need for users to download third-party applications to manage spam, improving customer experience and network safety.
13 Countries Benefit from Airtel’s Spam Protection Service
The AI-powered service has been rolled out in Nigeria, Kenya, Zambia, Uganda, Gabon, Congo Brazzaville, Malawi, Madagascar, DRC, Rwanda, Tanzania, Chad, and Niger, with Seychelles set to launch soon.
During the review period:
- Kenya recorded the highest volume of flagged messages with 68 million spam SMS
- Tanzania followed with 47 million, and Zambia recorded 33 million.
- Overall, spam messages across Airtel’s markets dropped by 12%, with Nigeria seeing the largest reduction of 84% since the service launched.
Commitment to Safer Networks
Airtel Africa CEO Sunil Taldar said:
“We are proud to pioneer an advanced tech solution powered by AI to tackle spam messages, which have become a growing concern as smartphone adoption rises across Africa. This free service is another demonstration of our commitment to innovation, delivering a safer and more reliable network experience for our customers.”
How Airtel’s AI Spam Alert Works
The Spam Alert system leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyze and classify SMS messages in real-time. It evaluates sender behavior, message frequency, and other parameters to detect suspicious content and instantly label it as spam.
With this breakthrough, Airtel Africa continues to position itself as a leader in digital innovation, enhancing customer trust and strengthening its role in promoting safer, spam-free communication across Africa.
