FCC Consumer Complaints – August 2016
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 31527 consumer complaints in August 2016 relating to telecommunications services, this represented an increase from the 26493 complaints recorded the previous month. Reports were received from 54 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) was reported slightly more frequently than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 31527
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 54
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (9712)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (3964)
Daily complaint activity
Across the month, the FCC recorded an average of 1017 complaints per day. The highest daily total was 1380 complaints on 2 August 2016, while 22 days recorded more complaints than the monthly daily average. The lowest daily total was 285 complaints on 14 August 2016, well below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
The 31527 complaints recorded in August 2016 were submitted from 6208 cities across 54 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. Despite the overall distribution, a notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 216 of the 245 complaints recorded in the state.
The table below summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory during the month, ordered by total reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 3964 | 12.6% |
| Florida | 2544 | 8.1% |
| Texas | 2351 | 7.5% |
| New York | 1722 | 5.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 1488 | 4.7% |
| Maryland | 1471 | 4.7% |
| Illinois | 1228 | 3.9% |
| Georgia | 1183 | 3.8% |
| Virginia | 987 | 3.1% |
| Ohio | 975 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 13588 | 43.1% |
Location highlight
Complaints in District of Columbia were heavily concentrated in Washington, which accounted for the majority of reports within the state.
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded during the month related to 7 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 21883 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 21883 | 69.4% |
| Internet | 4925 | 15.6% |
| TV | 3527 | 11.2% |
| Radio | 979 | 3.1% |
| Accessibility | 101 | 0.3% |
| Emergency | 94 | 0.3% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 18 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
21883 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 69.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 9712 | 44.4% |
| Robocalls | 6254 | 28.6% |
| Billing | 2194 | 10.0% |
| Equipment | 884 | 4.0% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 837 | 3.8% |
| Privacy | 721 | 3.3% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 427 | 2.0% |
| Junk Faxes | 339 | 1.5% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 210 | 1.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 206 | 0.9% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 67 | 0.3% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 27 | 0.1% |
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
4925 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 15.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1415 | 28.7% |
| Availability | 1087 | 22.1% |
| Speed | 764 | 15.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 537 | 10.9% |
| Privacy | 450 | 9.1% |
| Interference | 355 | 7.2% |
| Equipment | 316 | 6.4% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability and Speed among the most common.
TV complaints
3527 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 11.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1496 | 42.4% |
| Availability | 738 | 20.9% |
| Equipment | 364 | 10.3% |
| Indecency | 362 | 10.3% |
| Loud Commercials | 267 | 7.6% |
| Interference | 190 | 5.4% |
| Privacy | 88 | 2.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 21 | 0.6% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Radio complaints
979 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 3.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 729 | 74.5% |
| Indecency | 82 | 8.4% |
| Availability | 45 | 4.6% |
| Equipment | 38 | 3.9% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 35 | 3.6% |
| Pirate Radio | 27 | 2.8% |
| Billing | 23 | 2.3% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Interference and Indecency, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Accessibility complaints
101 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 78 | 77.2% |
| Closed Captioning on TV | 14 | 13.9% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 5 | 5.0% |
| Video Description | 2 | 2.0% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) and Closed Captioning on TV, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Emergency complaints
94 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 34 | 36.2% |
| Interference | 26 | 27.7% |
| Phone | 26 | 27.7% |
| Tower | 8 | 8.5% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Other and Interference, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
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.