FCC Consumer Complaints – 23 January 2016
Introduction
A total of 594 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on 23 January 2016, complaint volume fell from 1097 complaints the day before. The complaints came from 49 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Complaints relating to Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) were marginally higher than for other issue types.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 594
- States & territories reporting
- 49
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (181)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (78)
Where the complaints came from
On 23 January 2016, the 594 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 464 cities across 49 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.
The table below summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory on this date, ordered by total reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 78 | 13.1% |
| Florida | 52 | 8.8% |
| Illinois | 29 | 4.9% |
| New York | 27 | 4.5% |
| Georgia | 26 | 4.4% |
| North Carolina | 24 | 4.0% |
| Tennessee | 23 | 3.9% |
| Texas | 23 | 3.9% |
| Pennsylvania | 22 | 3.7% |
| Maryland | 21 | 3.5% |
| Other states and territories | 269 | 45.3% |
Location highlight
California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 62 different cities.
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 6 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 362 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 362 | 60.9% |
| Internet | 134 | 22.6% |
| TV | 82 | 13.8% |
| Radio | 8 | 1.3% |
| Emergency | 5 | 0.8% |
| Accessibility | 3 | 0.5% |
Phone complaints
362 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 60.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 181 | 50.0% |
| Robocalls | 99 | 27.3% |
| Billing | 39 | 10.8% |
| Equipment | 14 | 3.9% |
| Privacy | 11 | 3.0% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 6 | 1.7% |
| Junk Faxes | 4 | 1.1% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 3 | 0.8% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 2 | 0.6% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 0.6% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 1 | 0.3% |
Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) and Robocalls were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Internet complaints
134 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 22.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 39 | 29.1% |
| Availability | 25 | 18.7% |
| Speed | 24 | 17.9% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 21 | 15.7% |
| Privacy | 13 | 9.7% |
| Equipment | 6 | 4.5% |
| Interference | 6 | 4.5% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
TV complaints
82 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 13.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 29 | 35.4% |
| Availability | 19 | 23.2% |
| Equipment | 12 | 14.6% |
| Loud Commercials | 9 | 11.0% |
| Indecency | 6 | 7.3% |
| Interference | 3 | 3.7% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 3 | 3.7% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.2% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Equipment.
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.