FCC Consumer Complaints – 3 October 2016
Introduction
On 3 October 2016, 954 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented an increase from the 327 complaints recorded the day before. Complaints were reported across 52 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of 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
- 954
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (291)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (102)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 954 complaints were recorded on 3 October 2016, with reports originating from 655 cities in 52 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. 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 | 102 | 10.7% |
| Florida | 81 | 8.5% |
| Texas | 66 | 6.9% |
| Pennsylvania | 59 | 6.2% |
| Illinois | 41 | 4.3% |
| Georgia | 39 | 4.1% |
| Virginia | 38 | 4.0% |
| New York | 36 | 3.8% |
| Maryland | 29 | 3.0% |
| Ohio | 29 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 434 | 45.5% |
Location highlight
Complaints in California were reported across 68 cities, the widest spread observed on this date.
What the complaints were about
A total of 7 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. Phone was the most reported category, with 660 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 660 | 69.2% |
| Internet | 154 | 16.1% |
| TV | 117 | 12.3% |
| Radio | 16 | 1.7% |
| Accessibility | 5 | 0.5% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
660 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 69.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 291 | 44.1% |
| Robocalls | 156 | 23.6% |
| Billing | 93 | 14.1% |
| Equipment | 37 | 5.6% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 22 | 3.3% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 19 | 2.9% |
| Privacy | 15 | 2.3% |
| Junk Faxes | 12 | 1.8% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 7 | 1.1% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 6 | 0.9% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 2 | 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
154 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 16.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 41 | 26.6% |
| Billing | 40 | 26.0% |
| Speed | 26 | 16.9% |
| Privacy | 17 | 11.0% |
| Equipment | 16 | 10.4% |
| Interference | 10 | 6.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 4 | 2.6% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Availability, Billing and Speed.
TV complaints
117 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 58 | 49.6% |
| Availability | 19 | 16.2% |
| Indecency | 13 | 11.1% |
| Equipment | 11 | 9.4% |
| Loud Commercials | 7 | 6.0% |
| Interference | 4 | 3.4% |
| Privacy | 4 | 3.4% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 0.9% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, 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.