AT&T’s Network Analytics Program Succeeds In Blocking More Than A Billion Robocalls

AT&T, the fastest internet provider in the country has succeeded in blocking more than 1 million unnecessary robocalls using its Network Analytics Program. AT&T’s fraud management team and big data scientists developed this system, which was introduced in September year. The system has the ability to examine and crosscheck about 1.5 billion calls each day for patterns to detect and block unwanted automated calls.

Holly Hollingsworth, AT&T spokesperson said about the new program developed by the company, “That process yields a list that is handed over to a human team of fraud experts. They conduct further research to avoid suspending legitimate automated calls. The program is working on calls originating on AT&T lines before they’re received, and they could have been received by anyone, AT&T customer or not.”

AT&T developed this program as a response to curb the increasing number of unwanted sales calls after the launch of the Do Not Call registry in 2003. This registry was initially successful but failed to tackle the advanced techniques employed by auto-dialers. The registry was then deemed inadequate to deal with the surge in computers generated sales calls.

Auto-dialers have become more advanced these days with the ability to make thousands of phone calls to different locations in very less time. Generated by computers, such automated calls come with false caller identification information, which enables them to remain concealed from the law enforcement authorities. They are also relatively cheap to generate and can be used to make calls with much ease from any part of the world.

In the country, Columbus is the main source of robocalls due to the presence of several telemarketing companies in the region. To counteract this, the FCC chairman Tom Wheeler brought a “Robocall Strike Force” to deal with the massive surge in complaints about these unwanted calls.

Led by AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson, the Strike Force comprised of about 30-telecom and technology companies. They jointly released a report stating the need for new tools and solutions to fight robocalls and to provide customers with better control over the calls that they receive. AT&T’s Network Analytics Program was one of the tools that emerged from the efforts of this Strike Force.

Hollingsworth further added that “The new data analysis program helps protect everyone with a phone number — wireless, wireline, etc. — because it works on the send side, not the receive side.”