FCC Consumer Complaints – 6 May 2016

Introduction

A total of 5189 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on Friday, 6 May 2016, this represented an increase from the 3099 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 52 states and territories, with California recording the largest share of reports at 903 complaints. The most common issue reported was Open Internet/Net Neutrality, accounting for 4038 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
5189
States & territories reporting
52
Most common issue
Open Internet/Net Neutrality (4038)
Most reported state/territory
California (903)

Where the complaints came from

A total of 5189 complaints were recorded on 6 May 2016, with reports originating from 2119 cities in 52 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 903 17.4%
New York 347 6.7%
Texas 329 6.3%
Florida 327 6.3%
Pennsylvania 266 5.1%
Washington 232 4.5%
Illinois 222 4.3%
Michigan 171 3.3%
Massachusetts 151 2.9%
Oregon 148 2.9%
Other states and territories 2089 40.3%

What the complaints were about

Complaints recorded on this date related to 7 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Internet, which accounted for 4217 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Internet 4217 81.3%
Phone 827 15.9%
TV 114 2.2%
Radio 26 0.5%
Emergency 3 0.1%
Accessibility 1 0.0%
Request for Dispute Assistance 1 0.0%

Internet complaints

4217 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 81.3% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 4037 95.7%
Billing 59 1.4%
Availability 54 1.3%
Speed 29 0.7%
Equipment 18 0.4%
Interference 12 0.3%
Privacy 8 0.2%

Open Internet/Net Neutrality and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.

Phone complaints

827 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.9% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) 377 45.6%
Robocalls 183 22.1%
Billing 84 10.2%
Equipment 40 4.8%
Availability (including rural call completion) 35 4.2%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 35 4.2%
Privacy 28 3.4%
Junk Faxes 26 3.1%
Interference (including signal jammers) 10 1.2%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 5 0.6%
Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) 3 0.4%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 1 0.1%

Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) and Robocalls were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.

TV complaints

114 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 2.2% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 39 34.2%
Availability 38 33.3%
Equipment 12 10.5%
Indecency 10 8.8%
Loud Commercials 9 7.9%
Interference 5 4.4%
Privacy 1 0.9%

Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.

Page last updated: 10 December 2018 with FCC complaints data from 6 May 2016.

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.