A multistate investigation conducted by attorneys general from 49 states and the District of Columbia has resulted in a $10.22 million settlement with three major wireless service providers: AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon.

The settlement resolves claims by the states that the wireless companies made false and misleading claims about data plans and service availability, as well as the cost of switching to different wireless carriers.

“AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile lied to millions of consumers, making false promises of free phones and ‘unlimited’ data plans that were simply untrue," New York Attorney General Letitia James said. "Big companies are not excused from following the law and cannot trick consumers into paying for services they will never receive. We will continue to go after companies that hurt everyday Americans and try to take advantage of this basic and critical service.”

Specifically, the states alleged that the companies marketed “unlimited” data plans that were actually limited in size and quality, and made false claims about how much data customers would be able to access after reaching certain limits. The companies also deceived customers about the cost of switching to different wireless carriers, and failed to disclose key terms and conditions of service.

As part of the settlement, the wireless companies have agreed to pay the $10.22 million settlement to the states, and are required to change their advertising and marketing of wireless service plans to be more accurate and truthful. The settlement also requires the companies to appoint a dedicated representative to work with the attorneys general in addressing ordinary complaints filed by consumers, and to train their customer service representatives to comply with the terms of the agreement.

Florida was the only state to not participate in the probe.