FCC Consumer Complaints – 11 May 2016

Introduction

On 11 May 2016, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1352 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume fell from 1524 complaints the day before. Complaints were reported across 52 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. The most common issue reported was Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing), accounting for 416 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
1352
States & territories reporting
52
Most common issue
Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (416)
Most reported state/territory
California (173)

Where the complaints came from

On 11 May 2016, the 1352 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 818 cities across 52 states and territories. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.

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 173 12.8%
Florida 152 11.2%
Texas 125 9.2%
New York 79 5.8%
Illinois 56 4.1%
Georgia 52 3.8%
Pennsylvania 50 3.7%
Ohio 44 3.3%
Maryland 43 3.2%
Washington 41 3.0%
Other states and territories 534 39.5%

Location highlight

California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 107 different cities.

What the complaints were about

Complaints recorded on this date related to 6 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 888 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 888 65.7%
Internet 294 21.7%
TV 144 10.7%
Radio 23 1.7%
Request for Dispute Assistance 2 0.1%
Accessibility 1 0.1%

Phone complaints

888 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 65.7% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) 416 46.8%
Robocalls 194 21.8%
Billing 87 9.8%
Equipment 52 5.9%
Availability (including rural call completion) 40 4.5%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 30 3.4%
Privacy 28 3.2%
Junk Faxes 23 2.6%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 8 0.9%
Interference (including signal jammers) 6 0.7%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 2 0.2%
Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) 2 0.2%

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

294 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 21.7% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 122 41.5%
Availability 61 20.7%
Billing 55 18.7%
Speed 21 7.1%
Interference 14 4.8%
Privacy 13 4.4%
Equipment 8 2.7%

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

TV complaints

144 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.7% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 65 45.1%
Availability 46 31.9%
Equipment 10 6.9%
Interference 9 6.3%
Indecency 6 4.2%
Loud Commercials 5 3.5%
Privacy 3 2.1%

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 11 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.