FCC Consumer Complaints – 10 July 2016

Introduction

On Sunday, 10 July 2016, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 291 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this was lower than the 480 complaints recorded the previous day. Complaints were reported across 43 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Billing was reported slightly more frequently than other issues.

Key statistics

Total complaints
291
States & territories reporting
43
Most common issue
Billing (51)
Most reported state/territory
California (42)

Where the complaints came from

Reports recorded on 10 July 2016 show 291 complaints originating from 223 cities across 43 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. At the city level, a significant concentration was observed in Maryland, where Frederick accounted for 29 of the 36 complaints recorded.

The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.

State/Territory Complaints
California 42 14.4%
Maryland 36 12.4%
Texas 22 7.6%
New York 21 7.2%
Florida 20 6.9%
Illinois 16 5.5%
Virginia 11 3.8%
Pennsylvania 9 3.1%
Michigan 8 2.7%
North Carolina 8 2.7%
Other states and territories 98 33.7%

Location highlight

A large share of complaints in Maryland originated from Frederick, which accounted for most reports within the state.

What the complaints were about

A total of 6 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 118 complaints. This was followed by Internet, which accounted for 78 complaints.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 118 40.5%
Internet 78 26.8%
TV 54 18.6%
Radio 35 12.0%
Emergency 5 1.7%
Request for Dispute Assistance 1 0.3%

Phone complaints

118 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 40.5% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) 41 34.7%
Robocalls 29 24.6%
Billing 17 14.4%
Availability (including rural call completion) 9 7.6%
Equipment 9 7.6%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 6 5.1%
Privacy 4 3.4%
Interference (including signal jammers) 2 1.7%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 1 0.8%

A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing), Robocalls and Billing among the most common.

Internet complaints

78 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 26.8% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 22 28.2%
Billing 17 21.8%
Availability 16 20.5%
Privacy 9 11.5%
Interference 6 7.7%
Equipment 4 5.1%
Speed 4 5.1%

A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Open Internet/Net Neutrality, Billing and Availability among the most common.

TV complaints

54 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 18.6% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 17 31.5%
Loud Commercials 14 25.9%
Availability 8 14.8%
Equipment 7 13.0%
Indecency 5 9.3%
Interference 3 5.6%

A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Loud Commercials and Availability among the most common.

Radio complaints

35 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.0% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Interference 32 91.4%
Commercials/Promotions 2 5.7%
Pirate Radio 1 2.9%

Interference and Commercials/Promotions 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 10 July 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.