The telecom regulator has decided to introduce an artificial intelligence (AI)-based customer relationship management system and increase the capacity of its call centre in a bid to resolve customers' complaints fast and efficiently.

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has already formed a seven-member committee to implement the AI-based system.

Brig Gen Mohammad Khalil-ur-Rahman, director general for the systems and services division, was made the convener of the committee, according to documents of the BTRC.

The committee will delineate technical specifications and terms of reference for appointing new call centre vendors through an open tender.

The development has come about after the BTRC recently consulted Zunaid Ahmed Palak, state minister for telecom and ICT, on the modernisation of the regulator's call centre which is known as 100 (short code).

It was decided that a modernised call centre should be opened to provide quality customer service for mobile customers.

The minister recommended consulting with different private companies to establish the call centre, which will resolve customer complaints better by identifying patterns through AI-based machine learning and accurately categorising complaint types through detailed analysis.

The BTRC call centre's activities commenced in 2016 to handle customer complaints via short codes for mobile and telecommunication services.

The call centre was operated by the Impel Service & Solutions till January 2022.

Later, the BTRC signed a three-year contract with Genex Infosys which will expire on January 30, 2025.

From March 2023 to February 2024, 10,936 complaints were lodged through the BTRC's call centre and about 85 percent of the complaints were resolved.