FCC Consumer Complaints – 29 September 2016
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 1135 consumer complaints on Thursday, 29 September 2016 relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 1168 complaints recorded the previous day. The complaints came from 52 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The most common issue reported was Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing), accounting for 437 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1135
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (437)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (154)
Where the complaints came from
The 1135 complaints recorded on 29 September 2016 originated from 742 cities across 52 states and territories. Activity was spread across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a substantial share of complaints. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.
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 | 13.6% |
| Florida | 89 | 7.8% |
| New York | 75 | 6.6% |
| Texas | 74 | 6.5% |
| Maryland | 55 | 4.8% |
| Ohio | 47 | 4.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 45 | 4.0% |
| New Jersey | 43 | 3.8% |
| Georgia | 37 | 3.3% |
| Illinois | 35 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 479 | 42.2% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 6 complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 870 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 870 | 76.7% |
| Internet | 144 | 12.7% |
| TV | 99 | 8.7% |
| Radio | 14 | 1.2% |
| Accessibility | 5 | 0.4% |
| Emergency | 3 | 0.3% |
Phone complaints
870 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 76.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 437 | 50.2% |
| Robocalls | 192 | 22.1% |
| Billing | 94 | 10.8% |
| Equipment | 38 | 4.4% |
| Privacy | 33 | 3.8% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 23 | 2.6% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 20 | 2.3% |
| Junk Faxes | 18 | 2.1% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 8 | 0.9% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 3 | 0.3% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 3 | 0.3% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 0.1% |
Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) and Robocalls accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Internet complaints
144 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 51 | 35.4% |
| Speed | 26 | 18.1% |
| Availability | 23 | 16.0% |
| Privacy | 23 | 16.0% |
| Equipment | 10 | 6.9% |
| Interference | 9 | 6.3% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 1.4% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Speed and Availability.
TV complaints
99 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 51 | 51.5% |
| Equipment | 14 | 14.1% |
| Availability | 12 | 12.1% |
| Interference | 8 | 8.1% |
| Indecency | 5 | 5.1% |
| Loud Commercials | 4 | 4.0% |
| Privacy | 4 | 4.0% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 1.0% |
Billing and Equipment accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
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.