FCC Consumer Complaints – 25 May 2016
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 1177 consumer complaints on 25 May 2016 relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 2260 complaints recorded the previous day. Reports were received from 49 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Complaints relating to Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) were marginally higher than for other issue types.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1177
- States & territories reporting
- 49
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (394)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (154)
Where the complaints came from
The 1177 complaints recorded on 25 May 2016 originated from 771 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. At the city level, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share of the total.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 154 | 13.1% |
| Texas | 123 | 10.5% |
| Florida | 94 | 8.0% |
| New York | 67 | 5.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 64 | 5.4% |
| Michigan | 39 | 3.3% |
| Georgia | 38 | 3.2% |
| Illinois | 37 | 3.1% |
| Maryland | 36 | 3.1% |
| New Jersey | 35 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 489 | 41.5% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 6 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 828 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 828 | 70.3% |
| Internet | 249 | 21.2% |
| TV | 82 | 7.0% |
| Radio | 13 | 1.1% |
| Emergency | 4 | 0.3% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
828 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 70.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 394 | 47.6% |
| Robocalls | 208 | 25.1% |
| Billing | 75 | 9.1% |
| Privacy | 34 | 4.1% |
| Equipment | 31 | 3.7% |
| Junk Faxes | 26 | 3.1% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 23 | 2.8% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 21 | 2.5% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 8 | 1.0% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 6 | 0.7% |
| 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
249 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 21.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 69 | 27.7% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 66 | 26.5% |
| Availability | 43 | 17.3% |
| Speed | 29 | 11.6% |
| Privacy | 18 | 7.2% |
| Interference | 13 | 5.2% |
| Equipment | 11 | 4.4% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Open Internet/Net Neutrality and Availability.
TV complaints
82 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 35 | 42.7% |
| Availability | 21 | 25.6% |
| Indecency | 7 | 8.5% |
| Loud Commercials | 6 | 7.3% |
| Interference | 5 | 6.1% |
| Equipment | 4 | 4.9% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 2.4% |
| Privacy | 2 | 2.4% |
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.