FCC Consumer Complaints – 30 December 2015
Introduction
On Wednesday, 30 December 2015, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1156 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented an increase from the 1032 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 51 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Billing recorded a slightly higher number of complaints than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1156
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Billing (290)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (141)
Where the complaints came from
The 1156 complaints recorded on 30 December 2015 were submitted from 773 cities across 51 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.
The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this date, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 141 | 12.2% |
| Texas | 100 | 8.7% |
| Florida | 89 | 7.7% |
| New York | 73 | 6.3% |
| Georgia | 63 | 5.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 49 | 4.2% |
| Tennessee | 41 | 3.5% |
| Maryland | 38 | 3.3% |
| Virginia | 37 | 3.2% |
| Illinois | 33 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 487 | 42.1% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 5 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 766 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 766 | 66.3% |
| Internet | 275 | 23.8% |
| TV | 97 | 8.4% |
| Radio | 17 | 1.5% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
766 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 66.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 280 | 36.6% |
| Robocalls | 185 | 24.2% |
| Billing | 135 | 17.6% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 37 | 4.8% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 32 | 4.2% |
| Equipment | 30 | 3.9% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 27 | 3.5% |
| Junk Faxes | 13 | 1.7% |
| Privacy | 13 | 1.7% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 9 | 1.2% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 0.1% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.1% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) and Robocalls, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Internet complaints
275 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 23.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 93 | 33.8% |
| Availability | 45 | 16.4% |
| Speed | 45 | 16.4% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 33 | 12.0% |
| Privacy | 23 | 8.4% |
| Interference | 19 | 6.9% |
| Equipment | 17 | 6.2% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
TV complaints
97 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 60 | 61.9% |
| Availability | 13 | 13.4% |
| Equipment | 11 | 11.3% |
| Loud Commercials | 6 | 6.2% |
| Indecency | 4 | 4.1% |
| Interference | 2 | 2.1% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 1.0% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
The information presented on this page is based on consumer complaint data submitted to regulatory authorities. References to telephone numbers reflect reports made by consumers and do not confirm ownership, authenticity, or that the number was genuinely associated with the call. Caller ID information may be inaccurate or subject to spoofing.
Complaint categories, dates and complainant locations are based on the source records and may contain incomplete, approximate or user-entered information. Location details refer to the complainant’s reported location, not the location of the caller or telephone number. This content is provided for informational purposes only.