FCC Consumer Complaints – 24 October 2016
Introduction
On Monday, 24 October 2016, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1082 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume increased from 400 complaints the day before. Reports were received from 50 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls was reported slightly more frequently than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1082
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (386)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (135)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 24 October 2016 show 1082 complaints originating from 712 cities across 50 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 135 | 12.5% |
| Florida | 73 | 6.7% |
| Texas | 71 | 6.6% |
| New York | 48 | 4.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 47 | 4.3% |
| Illinois | 45 | 4.2% |
| Virginia | 45 | 4.2% |
| Ohio | 43 | 4.0% |
| Washington | 42 | 3.9% |
| Massachusetts | 40 | 3.7% |
| Other states and territories | 491 | 45.4% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 7 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 645 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 645 | 59.6% |
| Internet | 234 | 21.6% |
| TV | 167 | 15.4% |
| Radio | 31 | 2.9% |
| Emergency | 3 | 0.3% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
645 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 59.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 386 | 59.8% |
| Billing | 119 | 18.4% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 34 | 5.3% |
| Equipment | 33 | 5.1% |
| Junk Faxes | 19 | 2.9% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 18 | 2.8% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 14 | 2.2% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 8 | 1.2% |
| Privacy | 6 | 0.9% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 4 | 0.6% |
| Rural Call Completion | 2 | 0.3% |
As is typical for this category, unwanted calls accounted for the largest share of complaints. A more detailed analysis of these reports is provided in the section below. A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment among the most common.
Internet complaints
234 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 21.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 73 | 31.2% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 52 | 22.2% |
| Availability | 46 | 19.7% |
| Speed | 28 | 12.0% |
| Interference | 12 | 5.1% |
| Privacy | 12 | 5.1% |
| Equipment | 11 | 4.7% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Open Internet/Net Neutrality and Availability among the most common.
TV complaints
167 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 75 | 44.9% |
| Availability | 35 | 21.0% |
| Indecency | 25 | 15.0% |
| Equipment | 17 | 10.2% |
| Loud Commercials | 6 | 3.6% |
| Interference | 4 | 2.4% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 4 | 2.4% |
| Privacy | 1 | 0.6% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Radio complaints
31 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 2.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 18 | 58.1% |
| Indecency | 4 | 12.9% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 3 | 9.7% |
| Pirate Radio | 3 | 9.7% |
| Equipment | 2 | 6.5% |
| Availability | 1 | 3.2% |
Interference and Indecency 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.