$780,000 fine handed down for unwanted sales calls

AT&T finds out it's not always good to talk – it can be expensive

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) says it has caught AT&T doing something it shouldn't have been – calling people who signed up to a no telemarketing calls list – and fined it $780,000. AT&T, however, takes a different stance on the subject, denying any wrongdoing and keeping its hands firmly in its pockets.

The list in question was AT&T's own, designed to stop disgruntled consumers receiving any unsolicited telemarketing calls from the company.

In the first major action of its kind, the FCC charges came about after a higher than average number of complaints - around 300 - it received in the space of several months. After the investigation, the FCC found AT&T made 78 separate calls to 29 different consumers who were had registered on the do not call scheme.

AT&T said in a statement: "We have been cooperating with the FCC over the past several months in investigating claims that date well back into 2002. We are confident we can persuade the FCC in its fact-finding proceeding that there were not 78 do not call violations." It added that it had even recommended that its customers sign up to a US national do not call list.

The nationwide list came into effect in October and already 54.3 million Americans have signed up, with 51,000 complaints made to date for breaching the do not call registry rules.

While AT&T's fine may seem steep for making a few unwanted calls to flog phone services, the cost could have been much higher. The regulations permit fines of up to $250,000 per violation – a big step up from the $10,000-a-pop charge it's been landed with now.

The telco has 30 days to respond to the charges before the FCC issues a final order but in its statement AT&T said it had yet to see a detailed breakdown of the allegations. The company plans to respond to the charges.