FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                   NEWS MEDIA CONTACT:
December 28, 1999                            John R. Winston, 202-418-7450          
                                                        
                                                                                                 

               FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
                  OUTLINES CONSUMERS' RIGHTS TO
                  PREVENT TELEMARKETING  CALLS
                                 
                                
WASHINGTON, DC -- The Commission today released an Order affirming that its
telemarketing rules require telephone solicitors to maintain their do-not-call lists on a telephone
number basis, rather than requiring all persons residing in a particular residence to make individual
do-not-call requests.  The Commission's Order resolves a Formal Complaint filed by
Consumer.Net against AT&T claiming violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of
1991 (TCPA) and the Commission's telemarketing rules which implement that Act.

In finding that AT&T had violated the Commission's rule governing do-not-call lists, the
Commission noted that Section 64.1200(e)(2)(iii) of the rules requires telemarketers to place a
telephone subscriber's name and telephone number on a do-not-call list at the time such a request
is made.  The Commission previously has recognized that some consumers wishing to be placed
on a do-not-call list may not want to provide telemarketers with their name, and has emphasized
that consumers who decline to provide their name still must be placed on a do-not-call list based
on their telephone number.  In today's Order, the Commission found that a telemarketer may not
negate the requirement to place a telephone number on a do-not-call list by claiming that it was
trying to reach someone else at the same number.  The Commission found that AT&T had
violated the do-not-call rule by making a telephone solicitation to the wife of a consumer who
previously requested that the couple's telephone number be placed on a do-not-call list.

The Commission also found that a telephone solicitation by Universal Card Services
Corporation, an AT&T affiliate, violated the rules by failing to honor a consumer's request to be
placed on an AT&T company-wide do-not-call list.  In addition, the Commission found that, in
one instance, AT&T had failed to provide its written do-not-call policy to a consumer who had
requested that document.  The Commission found that Consumer.Net had not proven its
allegation that on other occasions AT&T did not provide its do-not-call policy to requesting
consumers. 

                             (over)


The Commission denied all other aspects of Consumer.Net's complaint, finding that it
failed to prove that other telephone solicitations and telemarketing practices by AT&T violated
the TCPA or the Commission's rules.

     Action by the Commission December 17, 1999, by Order (FCC 99-401).  Chairman
Kennard, Commissioners Ness, Firchtgott-Roth,  Powell and Tristani. 


                            - FCC -
                                
                                
Enforcement Bureau Contact: Mary Romano at 202-418-7320. 
Consumer Information Bureau Contact: Pamera D. Hairston at 202-418-1400.