FCC Consumer Complaints – 26 October 2016
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 1072 consumer complaints on Wednesday, 26 October 2016 relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 1210 complaints recorded the previous day. The complaints came from 51 states and territories, with California recording the largest share of reports at 168 complaints. Unwanted Calls recorded a slightly higher number of complaints than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1072
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (445)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (168)
Where the complaints came from
The 1072 complaints recorded on 26 October 2016 originated from 720 cities across 51 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. At the city level, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share of the total.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 168 | 15.7% |
| Florida | 83 | 7.7% |
| Texas | 74 | 6.9% |
| New York | 56 | 5.2% |
| Illinois | 46 | 4.3% |
| Georgia | 42 | 3.9% |
| Pennsylvania | 42 | 3.9% |
| Washington | 40 | 3.7% |
| Michigan | 38 | 3.5% |
| Virginia | 38 | 3.5% |
| Other states and territories | 442 | 41.2% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 6 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 642 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 642 | 59.9% |
| Internet | 264 | 24.6% |
| TV | 143 | 13.3% |
| Radio | 19 | 1.8% |
| Accessibility | 3 | 0.3% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
642 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 59.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 445 | 69.3% |
| Billing | 81 | 12.6% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 33 | 5.1% |
| Equipment | 25 | 3.9% |
| Junk Faxes | 20 | 3.1% |
| Privacy | 14 | 2.2% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 10 | 1.6% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 9 | 1.4% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 4 | 0.6% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
Internet complaints
264 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 24.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 95 | 36.0% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 92 | 34.8% |
| Availability | 35 | 13.3% |
| Speed | 14 | 5.3% |
| Equipment | 12 | 4.5% |
| Interference | 10 | 3.8% |
| Privacy | 6 | 2.3% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Open Internet/Net Neutrality, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
143 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 13.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 91 | 63.6% |
| Equipment | 15 | 10.5% |
| Availability | 13 | 9.1% |
| Loud Commercials | 9 | 6.3% |
| Indecency | 8 | 5.6% |
| Interference | 5 | 3.5% |
| Privacy | 2 | 1.4% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Equipment, 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.