FCC Consumer Complaints – 1 April 2016
Introduction
On 1 April 2016, 967 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, complaint volume fell from 1156 complaints the previous day. The complaints came from 49 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing), with 360 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 967
- States & territories reporting
- 49
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (360)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (121)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 1 April 2016 show 967 complaints originating from 682 cities across 49 states and territories. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. 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 | 121 | 12.5% |
| Florida | 82 | 8.5% |
| Texas | 70 | 7.2% |
| New York | 66 | 6.8% |
| Illinois | 50 | 5.2% |
| Georgia | 48 | 5.0% |
| Pennsylvania | 40 | 4.1% |
| Ohio | 34 | 3.5% |
| Virginia | 32 | 3.3% |
| Michigan | 31 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 392 | 40.5% |
Location highlight
California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 85 different cities.
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 7 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 710 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 710 | 73.4% |
| Internet | 168 | 17.4% |
| TV | 72 | 7.4% |
| Radio | 10 | 1.0% |
| Accessibility | 4 | 0.4% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
710 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 73.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 360 | 50.7% |
| Robocalls | 171 | 24.1% |
| Billing | 66 | 9.3% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 32 | 4.5% |
| Equipment | 22 | 3.1% |
| Privacy | 20 | 2.8% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 15 | 2.1% |
| Junk Faxes | 13 | 1.8% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 5 | 0.7% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 3 | 0.4% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 2 | 0.3% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 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
168 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 17.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 53 | 31.5% |
| Availability | 45 | 26.8% |
| Speed | 21 | 12.5% |
| Equipment | 16 | 9.5% |
| Privacy | 14 | 8.3% |
| Interference | 13 | 7.7% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 6 | 3.6% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
TV complaints
72 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 36 | 50.0% |
| Availability | 12 | 16.7% |
| Equipment | 8 | 11.1% |
| Indecency | 6 | 8.3% |
| Loud Commercials | 5 | 6.9% |
| Interference | 2 | 2.8% |
| Privacy | 2 | 2.8% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 1.4% |
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.