FCC Consumer Complaints – 25 January 2016
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 865 consumer complaints on Monday, 25 January 2016 relating to telecommunications services, this represented an increase from the 312 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 51 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
- 865
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (284)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (116)
Where the complaints came from
The 865 complaints recorded on 25 January 2016 were submitted from 603 cities across 51 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. At the city level, a significant concentration was observed in Oklahoma, where Oklahoma city accounted for 20 of the 31 complaints recorded.
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 | 116 | 13.4% |
| Florida | 84 | 9.7% |
| New York | 46 | 5.3% |
| Texas | 46 | 5.3% |
| Illinois | 35 | 4.0% |
| Georgia | 31 | 3.6% |
| Oklahoma | 31 | 3.6% |
| Virginia | 29 | 3.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 27 | 3.1% |
| Ohio | 25 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 394 | 45.5% |
Location highlights
- A large share of complaints in Oklahoma originated from Oklahoma city, which accounted for most reports within the state.
- Complaints in California were reported across 73 cities, the widest spread observed on this date.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 6 complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 601 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 601 | 69.5% |
| Internet | 136 | 15.7% |
| TV | 112 | 12.9% |
| Radio | 11 | 1.3% |
| Accessibility | 3 | 0.3% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
601 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 69.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 284 | 47.3% |
| Robocalls | 168 | 28.0% |
| Billing | 65 | 10.8% |
| Privacy | 19 | 3.2% |
| Junk Faxes | 16 | 2.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 14 | 2.3% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 10 | 1.7% |
| Equipment | 10 | 1.7% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 8 | 1.3% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 4 | 0.7% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 3 | 0.5% |
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
136 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 38 | 27.9% |
| Speed | 25 | 18.4% |
| Availability | 21 | 15.4% |
| Privacy | 20 | 14.7% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 16 | 11.8% |
| Interference | 14 | 10.3% |
| Equipment | 2 | 1.5% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Speed and Availability.
TV complaints
112 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 38 | 33.9% |
| Loud Commercials | 33 | 29.5% |
| Availability | 21 | 18.8% |
| Equipment | 7 | 6.3% |
| Indecency | 6 | 5.4% |
| Interference | 5 | 4.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 0.9% |
| Privacy | 1 | 0.9% |
Billing and Loud Commercials were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
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.