FCC Consumer Complaints – 5 January 2016
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 1097 consumer complaints on Tuesday, 5 January 2016 relating to telecommunications services, this was higher than the 832 complaints recorded the day before. Complaints were reported across 50 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) recorded a slightly higher number of complaints than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1097
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (279)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (134)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 5 January 2016 show 1097 complaints originating from 726 cities across 50 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.
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 | 134 | 12.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 88 | 8.0% |
| Texas | 85 | 7.7% |
| Florida | 78 | 7.1% |
| New York | 75 | 6.8% |
| Georgia | 55 | 5.0% |
| Illinois | 34 | 3.1% |
| Ohio | 33 | 3.0% |
| Maryland | 32 | 2.9% |
| New Jersey | 31 | 2.8% |
| Other states and territories | 450 | 41.0% |
Location highlight
Complaints in California were reported across 101 cities, the widest spread observed on this date.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 6 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 731 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 731 | 66.6% |
| Internet | 200 | 18.2% |
| TV | 145 | 13.2% |
| Emergency | 9 | 0.8% |
| Radio | 9 | 0.8% |
| Accessibility | 3 | 0.3% |
Phone complaints
731 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 66.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 279 | 38.2% |
| Robocalls | 168 | 23.0% |
| Billing | 123 | 16.8% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 35 | 4.8% |
| Equipment | 29 | 4.0% |
| Junk Faxes | 27 | 3.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 25 | 3.4% |
| Privacy | 14 | 1.9% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 12 | 1.6% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 9 | 1.2% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 7 | 1.0% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 3 | 0.4% |
Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) and Robocalls accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Internet complaints
200 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 18.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 79 | 39.5% |
| Availability | 29 | 14.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 26 | 13.0% |
| Interference | 20 | 10.0% |
| Privacy | 18 | 9.0% |
| Speed | 16 | 8.0% |
| Equipment | 12 | 6.0% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability and Open Internet/Net Neutrality.
TV complaints
145 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 13.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 54 | 37.2% |
| Loud Commercials | 45 | 31.0% |
| Availability | 19 | 13.1% |
| Equipment | 10 | 6.9% |
| Indecency | 8 | 5.5% |
| Interference | 5 | 3.4% |
| Privacy | 2 | 1.4% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 0.7% |
Billing and Loud Commercials accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
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.