AT&T has announced it’ll add “automatic fraud blocking and suspected spam-call alerts” to mobile phone lines for no added cost — the first U.S. company to automatically block robocalls, CNN reported.
The free service comes after a June Federal Communications Commission ruling that allows phone service providers to offer call-blocking on an opt-out basis.
"The Commission's recent action builds on a years-long effort to enable broader adoption of call-blocking tools and allow providers to better protect their customers and networks," AT&T said in a statement.
"AT&T remains committed to working with our government and industry partners in the ongoing battle against unwanted and illegal robocalls."
More than 4.3 billion robocalls, both legal and illegal, were placed last month, according to industry data.
AT&T's service will attempt to block fraudulent calls and alert customers when a call may be spam. It’ll be available on all new lines and added in the coming months to existing customer lines.
The company already provided call blocking to mobile customers who downloaded the AT&T Call Protect app or opted in via their account settings. Landline customers had also been able to opt in.
Other carriers offer similar options, though AT&T is so far the only to automatically block calls, CNN reported.
But according to Ars Technica, customers will still have to manually add undesired phone numbers to block lists or pay $4 a month to send all suspected spam calls to voicemail.