Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) has partnered with voice security leader, Hiya to roll out AI-powered spam-fighting and branded calling services.

The new partnership will provide the mobile service provider’s customers additional protection from spam and fraudsters, existing alongside its firewall technology which has prevented more than 89 million spam texts from reaching customers in 2023.

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According to Hiya, phone spam and fraud “are persistent challenges for telco carriers worldwide”, reporting, in the UK alone, 28% of unknown calls were spam, with nearly 10% of those being fraud calls.

As a result, Hiya’s advanced caller identification service, Hiya Connect, will allow companies to add identity information to their calls with their company name, logo, call purpose and location, so recipients immediately know who is calling and why.

VMO2 Director of Fraud, Murray Mackenzie, said: “In the fight against fraud, we’re committed to rolling out the latest technology to help keep our customers safe.

“From AI tools to help us block fraudulent calls, to services that help identify callers before a customer has even picked up the phone, our extensive partnership with Hiya will see us continue to improve on our existing measures and give customers additional protection from spam and fraudsters.”

Hiya President, Kush Parikh added: “Carriers around the world are wrestling with how to prevent phone spam and scams and protect the reputation of business customers. Hiya is doing its part to restore confidence in voice calling by aligning with leaders like Virgin Media O2.”