FCC Consumer Complaints – 18 November 2016
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 892 consumer complaints on Friday, 18 November 2016 relating to telecommunications services, this was lower than the 1010 complaints recorded the previous day. Reports were received from 51 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 385 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 892
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (385)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (115)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 18 November 2016 show 892 complaints originating from 598 cities across 51 states and territories. The distribution of complaints was relatively even, with no single state or territory contributing a dominant share. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.
The table below summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory on this date, ordered by total reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 115 | 12.9% |
| Florida | 76 | 8.5% |
| Texas | 54 | 6.1% |
| Maryland | 52 | 5.8% |
| New York | 51 | 5.7% |
| Illinois | 39 | 4.4% |
| Ohio | 38 | 4.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 36 | 4.0% |
| Virginia | 35 | 3.9% |
| Washington | 33 | 3.7% |
| Other states and territories | 363 | 40.7% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 5 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 537 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 537 | 60.2% |
| Internet | 196 | 22.0% |
| TV | 104 | 11.7% |
| Radio | 52 | 5.8% |
| Emergency | 3 | 0.3% |
Phone complaints
537 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 60.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 385 | 71.7% |
| Billing | 55 | 10.2% |
| Equipment | 27 | 5.0% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 21 | 3.9% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 11 | 2.0% |
| Junk Faxes | 11 | 2.0% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 11 | 2.0% |
| Privacy | 9 | 1.7% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 4 | 0.7% |
| Rural Call Completion | 2 | 0.4% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 0.2% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).
Internet complaints
196 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 22.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 67 | 34.2% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 57 | 29.1% |
| Availability | 28 | 14.3% |
| Speed | 19 | 9.7% |
| Privacy | 11 | 5.6% |
| Interference | 8 | 4.1% |
| Equipment | 6 | 3.1% |
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
104 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 52 | 50.0% |
| Availability | 20 | 19.2% |
| Equipment | 11 | 10.6% |
| Loud Commercials | 7 | 6.7% |
| Privacy | 7 | 6.7% |
| Indecency | 6 | 5.8% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 1.0% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Radio complaints
52 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 5.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 40 | 76.9% |
| Indecency | 9 | 17.3% |
| Billing | 2 | 3.8% |
| Pirate Radio | 1 | 1.9% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Interference and Indecency, 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.