FCC Consumer Complaints – 17 May 2016
Introduction
A total of 1794 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on 17 May 2016, complaint volume increased from 1141 complaints the day before. Reports were received from 50 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Open Internet/Net Neutrality was reported slightly more frequently than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1794
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Open Internet/Net Neutrality (537)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (275)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 1794 complaints were recorded on 17 May 2016, with reports originating from 1046 cities in 50 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. 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 | 275 | 15.3% |
| Texas | 150 | 8.4% |
| Florida | 132 | 7.4% |
| New York | 88 | 4.9% |
| Illinois | 77 | 4.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 77 | 4.3% |
| Georgia | 70 | 3.9% |
| Washington | 61 | 3.4% |
| Maryland | 49 | 2.7% |
| Virginia | 49 | 2.7% |
| Other states and territories | 766 | 42.7% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 6 complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 908 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 908 | 50.6% |
| Internet | 728 | 40.6% |
| TV | 140 | 7.8% |
| Radio | 15 | 0.8% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
908 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 50.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 419 | 46.1% |
| Robocalls | 223 | 24.6% |
| Billing | 81 | 8.9% |
| Junk Faxes | 46 | 5.1% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 40 | 4.4% |
| Equipment | 36 | 4.0% |
| Privacy | 20 | 2.2% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 17 | 1.9% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 12 | 1.3% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 10 | 1.1% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 3 | 0.3% |
| 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.
Internet complaints
728 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 40.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 536 | 73.6% |
| Billing | 68 | 9.3% |
| Availability | 48 | 6.6% |
| Speed | 31 | 4.3% |
| Privacy | 20 | 2.7% |
| Equipment | 15 | 2.1% |
| Interference | 10 | 1.4% |
Open Internet/Net Neutrality and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
140 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 68 | 48.6% |
| Availability | 26 | 18.6% |
| Equipment | 13 | 9.3% |
| Loud Commercials | 12 | 8.6% |
| Indecency | 10 | 7.1% |
| Interference | 10 | 7.1% |
| Privacy | 1 | 0.7% |
Billing and Availability 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.