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T-Mobile to Pay $40 Million Fine for Faking Outgoing Calls to Rural Areas
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That is a terrible thing that T-Mobile did. I think people need to hit social media, and let others know what happened. Make T-Mobile hurt as much as possible.
While I’d like to get worked up, I just remember who is the head of the FCC. It would be to Verizon’s benefit if they slipped on a banana peel. I don’t have any insider information, but I’m not surprised the FCC went after them. The CEO of T-Mobile and the Trump had a Twitter fight a year or two ago, so it adds up.
I’m not condoning the practice, especially since I’m sure it’s true. Hell, Apple has done its fair share of shady business. I’m saying, Aja is on Verizon’s payroll and is helping Lowell and company more money with tax breaks and gutting Net Neutrality.
I’m not condoning the practice, especially since I’m sure it’s true. Hell, Apple has done its fair share of shady business. I’m saying, Aja is on Verizon’s payroll and is helping Lowell and company more money with tax breaks and gutting Net Neutrality.
If T-Mobile has to result to this kind of tactic to disguise its lousy voice coverage, it IS awful. I hope Legere and the rest of his executive team are shown the door. He can’t pretend to be ignorant about this.
But the big question is "why?" Does this have to do with extortionist pricing of companies with a monopoly on rural towers? I seem to recall there were towers in some areas that charged interconnect fees of multiple dollars per minute to other carriers that ended up on them.
T-Mobile will pay $40 million to the U.S. Treasury for failing to correct ongoing issues with call delivery to rural areas and fooling customers with false ringtones, the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced today.
The FCC decided that T-Mobile violated the Communications Act following an investigation launched after T-Mobile subscribers were unable to reach customers served by three rural carriers in Wisconsin. T-Mobile claimed it had fixed the issue, but the FCC continued to get numerous complaints from T-Mobile callers attempting to reach at least 10 rural areas. From FCC chairman Ajit Pai:According to the FCC, T-Mobile injected false ringtones into "hundreds of millions of calls" to rural areas to trick T-Mobile callers into thinking the phone was ringing on the other end of the line when it was not. False ringtones can cause a caller to hang up thinking no one is available, and it can also "create a misleading impression" that a caller's service provider is not responsible for the failed call, says the FCC.
The FCC also said that rural call completion problems have "significant and immediate public interest ramifications," leading to lost revenue for rural businesses, impediments for medical professionals unable to reach patients in rural areas, families who can't reach relatives, and "dangerous delays" in public safety communications.
T-Mobile has admitted to violating the FCC's prohibition on inserting false ringtones and failing to correct problems affecting calls to select rural areas. In addition to the $40 million payment, T-Mobile has also agreed to implement a compliance plan to fix these issues.
Article Link: T-Mobile to Pay $40 Million Fine for Faking Outgoing Calls to Rural Areas
Typical move by T Mobile. I'm hoping the T Mobile / Sprint merger happens.
We are happy with TMobile. Great value and free roaming in Canada and supposedly Mexico. Yes coverage is a bit shaky. And unlimited for two phones <$100. Don't care what the dude wears.
T-Mobile will pay $40 million to the U.S. Treasury for failing to correct ongoing issues with call delivery to rural areas and fooling customers with false ringtones, the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced today.
The FCC decided that T-Mobile violated the Communications Act following an investigation launched after T-Mobile subscribers were unable to reach customers served by three rural carriers in Wisconsin. T-Mobile claimed it had fixed the issue, but the FCC continued to get numerous complaints from T-Mobile callers attempting to reach at least 10 rural areas. From FCC chairman Ajit Pai:According to the FCC, T-Mobile injected false ringtones into "hundreds of millions of calls" to rural areas to trick T-Mobile callers into thinking the phone was ringing on the other end of the line when it was not. False ringtones can cause a caller to hang up thinking no one is available, and it can also "create a misleading impression" that a caller's service provider is not responsible for the failed call, says the FCC.
The FCC also said that rural call completion problems have "significant and immediate public interest ramifications," leading to lost revenue for rural businesses, impediments for medical professionals unable to reach patients in rural areas, families who can't reach relatives, and "dangerous delays" in public safety communications.
T-Mobile has admitted to violating the FCC's prohibition on inserting false ringtones and failing to correct problems affecting calls to select rural areas. In addition to the $40 million payment, T-Mobile has also agreed to implement a compliance plan to fix these issues.
Article Link: T-Mobile to Pay $40 Million Fine for Faking Outgoing Calls to Rural Areas
seems like all the telco company in the US are so shady. this is what happens when you give so much power to one entity
This wasn’t a “mistake”. This was willfully misleading someone who was trying to call their customer by making it appear that T-Mobile’s network was providing a service that it actually wasn’t providing.
The bigger question is...if T-Mobile is willing to lie about this, what else are they lying about? If they would go to the trouble of concocting a fake “ring” sound, I’d be willing to bet that they’re lying/being shady about other things, too.
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I think that’s pretty much answered in the article. They wanted to make it seem like their network was attempting to connect a call when, in fact, it wasn’t.
Act or not, he’s super intelligent. His angle is to create programs to help the consumer, instead of looking good for ways to screw people. He’s still trying to take our money, but he looks for ways to take our money that also help us. For that, and for what he’s done to shake up the industry, I will never leave TMobile. If it wasn’t for John Legere, Verizon would still be offering data buckets.... gotta give credit where credit is due.
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I didn’t find the word Apple, ios, Macos, etc, or anything remotely related to Apple in this article, why is this posted on macrumors?
I completely agree. The whole "uncarrier" schtick sounds nice, but it means nothing when I can't get service in my New York City apartment. I'm on Verizon now and they're sketchy too but at least my phone works.
What T-Mobile did was not a mistake. A mistake is doing something unintended. T-Mobile's action was premeditated.
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Because carriers that sell and provide service for the iPhone are discussed here.
I haven't seen AT&T doing anything wrong. Meanwhile, T-Mobile pioneers in tactics like this and in violating net neutrality (before it was repealed).
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We're so cool and independent that we don't even obey FCC regulations.
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Good on them for admitting it and promising to fix their shortcomings.
Familiar, eh? Or is that only allowable as standard response from the Apple Defense League when Cook & Crew get caught pulling their shifty shi*?
EVERY
SINGLE
TIME
(I forget, was that the right font?)
Agreed. My big reason for switching from Verizon was the CFO's superior than all attitude. Put in a weak attempt at finding my post outlining quotes from Matthew Ellis with no luck. Most of these companies have shady dealings that make it easy to say they're the worst. Least it's cheaper for me on T-Mobile. PS - building connectivity not great if not on Wifi
I am not surprised by this news. T-Mobile has been wanting Verizon’s position and will take any means including fraudulent acts to do so. After all, Verizon is the best and top carrier in the US with the widest coverage all over and between the states including rural areas and inside buildings. Fortunate for me and others who have Verizon!!
T-Mobile will pay $40 million to the U.S. Treasury for failing to correct ongoing issues with call delivery to rural areas and fooling customers with false ringtones, the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced today.
The FCC decided that T-Mobile violated the Communications Act following an investigation launched after T-Mobile subscribers were unable to reach customers served by three rural carriers in Wisconsin. T-Mobile claimed it had fixed the issue, but the FCC continued to get numerous complaints from T-Mobile callers attempting to reach at least 10 rural areas. From FCC chairman Ajit Pai:According to the FCC, T-Mobile injected false ringtones into "hundreds of millions of calls" to rural areas to trick T-Mobile callers into thinking the phone was ringing on the other end of the line when it was not. False ringtones can cause a caller to hang up thinking no one is available, and it can also "create a misleading impression" that a caller's service provider is not responsible for the failed call, says the FCC.
The FCC also said that rural call completion problems have "significant and immediate public interest ramifications," leading to lost revenue for rural businesses, impediments for medical professionals unable to reach patients in rural areas, families who can't reach relatives, and "dangerous delays" in public safety communications.
T-Mobile has admitted to violating the FCC's prohibition on inserting false ringtones and failing to correct problems affecting calls to select rural areas. In addition to the $40 million payment, T-Mobile has also agreed to implement a compliance plan to fix these issues.
Article Link: T-Mobile to Pay $40 Million Fine for Faking Outgoing Calls to Rural Areas
I have experienced none of this. I have been a Telekom Germany Customer for more than 15 years and I am very satisfied with their service and coverage.
You left Verizon because of the CFO's 'superior than all attitude'? Last I checked, John Legere has a pretty serious case of that, too. I think his concern for customers extends only about as far as the company's revenue stream. His PR videos are little more than him waxing poetic about how great he and his company are with a few obscenities sprinkled in (mainly directed at his competition). In reality, many of T-Mobile's customers put up with subpar cell service in exchange for a less expensive bill and freebies on Tuesdays. To each their own...
I hope T-Mobile's customers will get up in arms about the fact that the company was intentionally being deceptive to people who were trying to call its customers in rural areas. Unfortunately, many of those customers are probably too busy enjoying their Tuesday 'freebies' to care; but nevertheless, they should care. If T-Mobile is willing to stoop to the level they did with their rural customers, it's probably only a matter of time before they'll do something else deceptive that will affect their customers in big cities, as well.