FCC Consumer Complaints – 7 May 2016
Introduction
On Saturday, 7 May 2016, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1636 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 5189 complaints recorded the previous day. Reports were received from 52 states and territories, with California accounting for the largest number of submissions at 312 complaints. The largest number of complaints related to Open Internet/Net Neutrality, with 1202 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1636
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Open Internet/Net Neutrality (1202)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (312)
Where the complaints came from
The 1636 complaints recorded on 7 May 2016 were submitted from 963 cities across 52 states and territories. Complaints were less evenly distributed than usual, with California accounting for the highest proportion of reports. While complaints were reported across multiple cities, no individual location accounted for a significant share of the total.
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 | 312 | 19.1% |
| Florida | 106 | 6.5% |
| Texas | 96 | 5.9% |
| Washington | 87 | 5.3% |
| New York | 85 | 5.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 81 | 5.0% |
| Illinois | 63 | 3.9% |
| Oregon | 59 | 3.6% |
| Colorado | 56 | 3.4% |
| Massachusetts | 51 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 640 | 39.1% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 5 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Internet, which accounted for 1283 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Internet | 1283 | 78.4% |
| Phone | 269 | 16.4% |
| TV | 72 | 4.4% |
| Radio | 7 | 0.4% |
| Emergency | 5 | 0.3% |
Internet complaints
1283 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 78.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1201 | 93.6% |
| Billing | 22 | 1.7% |
| Availability | 21 | 1.6% |
| Speed | 18 | 1.4% |
| Interference | 9 | 0.7% |
| Equipment | 6 | 0.5% |
| Privacy | 6 | 0.5% |
Open Internet/Net Neutrality and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Phone complaints
269 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 16.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 126 | 46.8% |
| Robocalls | 55 | 20.4% |
| Billing | 28 | 10.4% |
| Privacy | 20 | 7.4% |
| Equipment | 17 | 6.3% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 9 | 3.3% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 6 | 2.2% |
| Junk Faxes | 3 | 1.1% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 3 | 1.1% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 2 | 0.7% |
Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) and Robocalls accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
72 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 4.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 24 | 33.3% |
| Availability | 23 | 31.9% |
| Equipment | 9 | 12.5% |
| Interference | 6 | 8.3% |
| Indecency | 5 | 6.9% |
| Loud Commercials | 4 | 5.6% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 1.4% |
Billing and Availability 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.