
No mention if Eric Holder had anything to do with this case. Certainly don't want see this incompetent attorney general get credit for doing something right for a change.
AT&T can't catch a break from the US government. First the feds squashed Big Phone's proposed merger with Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile USA, and now the Department of Justice has slapped a suit on the company for alleged improper billing for services intended for use by the deaf and hard of hearing. The service in question is IP …
AT&T seem to have no moral core. No honesty. No "do the right thing"
This is the way their wireless systems operate, and I'm not surprised to find it in their other operations.
If corporations have rights as "persons" to make political contributions (as they do sine the "Citizens United" case") then why can't they go to jail when they break the law?
This has been my consistent experience with AT&T in virtually every complex dealing I've had with them in either commercial or residential, data or voice services: rotten to the core.
Just last week I was reminded again when attempting to resolve a commercial billing issue. At every turn they fail to follow-through as promised, fail to provide ways to adequately follow-up on committments, and have the most utterly convoluted rats-nest of bureacracy staffed by clueless minions who I'm convinced are hired precisely because it makes it less likely customers will get anything that ATT doesn't feel like giving them.
On the residential side for example, if you go to their website and try to _remove_ a service from your account, you will find that it is impossible. Lots of opportunities to ADD some service that you'll pay extra for, but no way to remove anything. (This was confirmed by the rep I eventually spoke to, who actually half-heartedly apologized for that little sales trick)
I've even had field installers who were onsite to install a circuit for an AT&T "partner ISP" using their local-loop try to talk you out of using that ISP and switch to AT&T's lousy service instead.
Like a zombie army, that organization.
Red the article, its not some much the scams it the fact that they are being paid a subsidy for calls that are inelligable for the subsidy and not doing anything to prevent it happening. its not that they are scam callers, its that they are allowing people to use the SERVICE fraudulently and profiting from it.
Scam mails through the post are paid for by the scammer, not through some subsidy from the government.
"Since 1971, the USPS has been a self-supporting government agency that covers its operating
costs with revenues generated through the sales of postage and related products and services."
The only subsidy the USPS gets is $100 million/yr to offset costs associated with mandated mail-outs to overseas voters and the blind. Recent losses are largely due to the PAEA which requires the USPS to prefund retiree health benefits.
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R41024.pdf
Knowing government crap and regulations, AT&T probably has nothing to fear on this.
My guess is that there are various conflicting rules involved, such as the one hinted about in the article that says they are tp always connect those who claim they are disabled. If that's true then no matter what AT&T was breaking the rules; in which case they choose a course of action that was the most profitable to them.
My prediction: the case will be dropped. AT&T will pay a relatively small fine; and a few rules and regulations will be quietly changed.