Here’s How 300 Million Users in India Stopped Getting Spam Calls

This Indian technology company claims to have solved the spam calls issue for mobile users in the country.

Spam calling is a big malaise in the country, and it doesn’t matter which network you’ve opted for. Most people have found that spam calls and messages are hard to avoid and even the telcos have used it to their advantage, every now and then.

Interestingly, India-based Tech Mahindra Ltd this week announced that its blockchain solution is safeguarding over 300 million mobile subscribers from unsolicited commercial communication (UCC) or spam calls.

The company last year claims to have designed the blockchain solution in compliance with the regulations and guidelines of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to enable telecom providers prevent unauthorised access of subscribers' data.

Blockchain is expected to be a trillion-dollar market globally by 2030.

"With the concerted and coordinated efforts by the Indian government and the industry backed by appropriate regulation, India can continue to sustain and enhance its leadership position in blockchain technology," Rajesh Dhuddu, Global Practice Leader, Blockchain, Tech Mahindra said in a statement.

TRAI was even compelled to order Apple into allowing its DND app to run on iPhones in India, but instead, Apple decided it was better off giving a built-in DND feature, which rolled out with the iOS 12 update last year.

Most spam SMS and calls are made by entities representing real estate, insurance and banking services.

Every year, surveys are done to understand the pain points of mobile users across the country, and every year, the complaints are the same. Many people also feel that using DND registry is pointless in India, so it’ll be intriguing to see the conversion of Mahindra’s technology division with its latest project.

Ensuring that more than 300 million mobile users don’t get spam calls is a big task, and if blockchain can actually make a difference, it’s time TRAI asks telcos to adopt it as well, for the sake of the consumers.