FCC Consumer Complaints – 4 June 2016
Introduction
On 4 June 2016, 540 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, complaint volume fell from 1161 complaints the day before. The complaints came from 47 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Complaints relating to Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) were marginally higher than for other issue types.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 540
- States & territories reporting
- 47
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (142)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (70)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 540 complaints were recorded on 4 June 2016, with reports originating from 386 cities in 47 states and territories. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in Maryland, where Frederick accounted for 25 of the 38 complaints recorded in the state.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 70 | 13.0% |
| Florida | 52 | 9.6% |
| Texas | 40 | 7.4% |
| Maryland | 38 | 7.0% |
| Illinois | 21 | 3.9% |
| North Carolina | 20 | 3.7% |
| New York | 19 | 3.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 18 | 3.3% |
| Arizona | 16 | 3.0% |
| Indiana | 15 | 2.8% |
| Other states and territories | 231 | 42.8% |
Location highlight
Complaints in Maryland were heavily concentrated in Frederick, which accounted for the majority of reports within the state.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 6 complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 325 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 325 | 60.2% |
| Internet | 117 | 21.7% |
| TV | 66 | 12.2% |
| Radio | 29 | 5.4% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.4% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
325 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 60.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 142 | 43.7% |
| Robocalls | 63 | 19.4% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 42 | 12.9% |
| Billing | 27 | 8.3% |
| Equipment | 12 | 3.7% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 11 | 3.4% |
| Privacy | 10 | 3.1% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 7 | 2.2% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 5 | 1.5% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 3 | 0.9% |
| Junk Faxes | 2 | 0.6% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.3% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) and Robocalls, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Internet complaints
117 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 21.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 35 | 29.9% |
| Availability | 29 | 24.8% |
| Speed | 24 | 20.5% |
| Equipment | 9 | 7.7% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 8 | 6.8% |
| Interference | 6 | 5.1% |
| Privacy | 6 | 5.1% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability and Speed among the most common.
TV complaints
66 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 13 | 19.7% |
| Billing | 13 | 19.7% |
| Equipment | 11 | 16.7% |
| Interference | 11 | 16.7% |
| Loud Commercials | 8 | 12.1% |
| Indecency | 6 | 9.1% |
| Privacy | 3 | 4.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 1.5% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Availability, Billing and Equipment among the most 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.