Vodafone Idea (Vi) is intensifying its focus on artificial intelligence (AI) to strengthen customer protection against fraud, with the company’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Jagbir Singh emphasizing that safeguarding users remains one of its top priorities.
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“AI is everywhere today, and while the buzz can sometimes feel overstated, the fact is that AI is advancing at a remarkable pace, driving meaningful impact and transforming constantly — to the point where we can’t predict what it might look like even a year from now,” Singh told ETTelecom, Mansi Taneja reported on November 6, 2025. “At Vodafone Idea, our focus is on leveraging AI where it truly matters, and one of our top priorities is using it to safeguard our customers from fraud.”
AI at the Core of Customer Security
The telecom operator recently launched ‘Vi Protect’, an umbrella platform that brings together Vi’s consumer, network, and enterprise security initiatives. The platform features AI-based systems such as Voice Spam Detection and Network Defence and Incident Response, aimed at identifying and mitigating fraudulent activities in real time. The voice spam detection feature can flag suspicious or spam calls instantly, enhancing customer security.
According to Singh, Vi has already rolled out SMS and call monitoring, while URL monitoring is currently being tested and will be introduced soon. The company’s fraud protection strategy focuses on blocking malicious activity across SMS, voice calls, and internet links.
Real-Time Threat Detection
“We have already launched SMS and call monitoring, and URL monitoring is currently under testing as we strengthen the database. We plan to roll that out very soon,” Singh was quoted as saying.
"One of our priority areas is protecting customers from fraud. Banks, who are also our enterprise customers, have been dealing with these threats for years, and we have taken insights from them to design parallel solutions for both consumers and enterprises. On the consumer front, our goal is to block fraud across the three major channels: SMS, voice calls, and URLs."
“But the challenge is that fraudsters constantly change their sources — phone numbers, URLs, even patterns — making everything extremely dynamic, often shifting by the minute. Gone are the days when promotional or call-center numbers stayed constant; today, every interaction can be spoofed. Therefore, real-time, intelligence-driven protection is essential. Over the past year, we have built our own AI-powered database and also licensed additional threat data from a trusted third-party vendor, who refreshes it every hour — just as we do. This ensures we stay ahead of rapidly evolving fraud attempts across calls, SMS, and internet links,” the executive added.
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5G Expansion
On the 5G front, Singh reportedly said Vi’s next-generation mobile network is now live in 29 cities, with expansion plans underway. “We plan to extend coverage to even more cities and we are seeing strong traction — more 5G devices on the network and a consistent rise in data traffic — which reinforces the momentum,” he said.
5G Use Cases and the Road Ahead
When it comes to 5G use cases, Singh said there’s a lot of discussion around network slicing, AR/VR, and other advanced applications — and while pilots are happening, we haven’t yet seen large-scale commercial demand. For now, the most immediate value drivers are enhanced mobile broadband and a superior customer experience. He added that 5G boosts network capacity, helping manage rising data consumption while optimizing Vi’s 4G infrastructure investments.
As 5G device penetration rises, customers naturally start consuming more data, which directly supports monetization, Singh reportedly said.
