FCC Consumer Complaints – September 2016
Introduction
A total of 30694 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission in September 2016, this was lower than the 31527 complaints recorded the previous month. Complaints were reported across 56 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) recorded a slightly higher number of complaints than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 30694
- Days with complaint data
- 30
- Days with complaints
- 30
- States & territories reporting
- 56
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (8877)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (3878)
Daily complaint activity
The month averaged 1023.1 complaints per day. The highest daily count was 1492 complaints on 20 September 2016, with 19 days recording more complaints than the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 4 September 2016, with 247 complaints, noticeably below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
The 30694 complaints recorded in September 2016 were submitted from 6317 cities across 56 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. Despite the overall distribution, a notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 123 of the 131 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 | 3878 | 12.6% |
| Florida | 2334 | 7.6% |
| Texas | 2127 | 6.9% |
| New York | 1653 | 5.4% |
| Ohio | 1468 | 4.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 1464 | 4.8% |
| Maryland | 1325 | 4.3% |
| Illinois | 1033 | 3.4% |
| Georgia | 1002 | 3.3% |
| Virginia | 1000 | 3.3% |
| Other states and territories | 13377 | 43.6% |
Location highlight
Washington accounted for nearly all complaints recorded in District of Columbia.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the month were spread across 7 complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 22261 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 22261 | 72.5% |
| Internet | 4375 | 14.3% |
| TV | 3073 | 10.0% |
| Radio | 852 | 2.8% |
| Accessibility | 65 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 56 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 12 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
22261 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 72.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 8877 | 39.9% |
| Robocalls | 5638 | 25.3% |
| Billing | 4124 | 18.5% |
| Equipment | 814 | 3.7% |
| Privacy | 660 | 3.0% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 570 | 2.6% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 480 | 2.2% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 408 | 1.8% |
| Junk Faxes | 373 | 1.7% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 165 | 0.7% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 120 | 0.5% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 28 | 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
4375 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 14.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1466 | 33.5% |
| Availability | 884 | 20.2% |
| Speed | 717 | 16.4% |
| Privacy | 430 | 9.8% |
| Interference | 340 | 7.8% |
| Equipment | 270 | 6.2% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 268 | 6.1% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability and Speed among the most common.
TV complaints
3073 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 10.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1445 | 47.0% |
| Availability | 576 | 18.7% |
| Equipment | 326 | 10.6% |
| Indecency | 235 | 7.6% |
| Loud Commercials | 212 | 6.9% |
| Interference | 182 | 5.9% |
| Privacy | 67 | 2.2% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 30 | 1.0% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Radio complaints
852 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 2.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 610 | 71.6% |
| Indecency | 81 | 9.5% |
| Pirate Radio | 55 | 6.5% |
| Availability | 30 | 3.5% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 28 | 3.3% |
| Equipment | 27 | 3.2% |
| Billing | 21 | 2.5% |
Interference and Indecency were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Accessibility complaints
65 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 31 | 47.7% |
| Closed Captioning on TV | 18 | 27.7% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 10 | 15.4% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 3 | 4.6% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 1 | 1.5% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 1 | 1.5% |
Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) and Closed Captioning on TV were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Emergency complaints
56 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 25 | 44.6% |
| Phone | 16 | 28.6% |
| Interference | 11 | 19.6% |
| Tower | 4 | 7.1% |
Other and Phone 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.