T-Mobile deceived customers with "false ring tones" on failed phone calls [telecom]

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T-Mobile deceived customers with "false ring tones" on failed phone calls

FCC fines T-Mobile $40M for rural call failures but requires no refunds.

By Jon Brodkin

T-Mobile USA has agreed to pay a $40 million fine after admitting that it failed to complete phone calls in rural areas and used "false ring tones" that created the appearance that the calls were going through and no one was picking up.

"To settle this matter, T-Mobile admits that it violated the Commission's prohibition against the insertion of false ring tones and that it did not correct problems with delivery of calls to certain rural areas," states an order issued by the Federal Communications Commission today.