FCC Consumer Complaints – December 2016
Introduction
In December 2016, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 21120 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 22060 complaints recorded the previous month. Reports were received from 55 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
- 21120
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 55
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (8320)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (2517)
Daily complaint activity
Across the month, the FCC recorded an average of 681.3 complaints per day. The highest daily total was 1003 complaints on 13 December 2016, while 19 days recorded more complaints than the monthly daily average. The lowest daily total was 141 complaints on 25 December 2016, well below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
The 21120 complaints recorded in December 2016 were submitted from 5192 cities across 55 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 87 of the 99 complaints recorded in the state.
The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this month, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 2517 | 11.9% |
| Florida | 1688 | 8.0% |
| Texas | 1533 | 7.3% |
| New York | 1196 | 5.7% |
| Maryland | 1170 | 5.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 937 | 4.4% |
| Illinois | 788 | 3.7% |
| Georgia | 718 | 3.4% |
| Ohio | 668 | 3.2% |
| Virginia | 627 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 9244 | 43.8% |
Location highlight
A large share of complaints in District of Columbia originated from Washington, which accounted for most reports within the state.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the month were spread across 7 complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 13327 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 13327 | 63.1% |
| Internet | 3862 | 18.3% |
| TV | 2876 | 13.6% |
| Radio | 957 | 4.5% |
| Emergency | 62 | 0.3% |
| Accessibility | 32 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 4 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
13327 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 63.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 8320 | 62.4% |
| Billing | 2402 | 18.0% |
| Equipment | 663 | 5.0% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 622 | 4.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 363 | 2.7% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 297 | 2.2% |
| Privacy | 222 | 1.7% |
| Junk Faxes | 193 | 1.4% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 148 | 1.1% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 53 | 0.4% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 21 | 0.2% |
| Rural Call Completion | 19 | 0.1% |
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, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion) among the most common.
Internet complaints
3862 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 18.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1374 | 35.6% |
| Availability | 796 | 20.6% |
| Speed | 616 | 16.0% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 409 | 10.6% |
| Equipment | 241 | 6.2% |
| Interference | 226 | 5.9% |
| Privacy | 200 | 5.2% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability and Speed among the most common.
TV complaints
2876 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 13.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1437 | 50.0% |
| Availability | 495 | 17.2% |
| Loud Commercials | 287 | 10.0% |
| Equipment | 275 | 9.6% |
| Indecency | 213 | 7.4% |
| Interference | 107 | 3.7% |
| Privacy | 48 | 1.7% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 13 | 0.5% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Radio complaints
957 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 4.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 743 | 77.6% |
| Pirate Radio | 84 | 8.8% |
| Indecency | 71 | 7.4% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 19 | 2.0% |
| Availability | 15 | 1.6% |
| Equipment | 15 | 1.6% |
| Billing | 10 | 1.0% |
Interference and Pirate Radio were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Emergency complaints
62 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 29 | 46.8% |
| Interference | 17 | 27.4% |
| Phone | 14 | 22.6% |
| Tower | 2 | 3.2% |
Other and Interference were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Accessibility complaints
32 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 14 | 43.8% |
| Closed Captioning on TV | 9 | 28.1% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 6 | 18.8% |
| Video Description | 1 | 3.1% |
Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) and Closed Captioning on TV were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Unwanted calls
A total of 8320 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 39.4% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact numbers are shown below where sufficient data is available.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (888) 727-1127 | 46 | 0.6% |
| (855) 653-4481 | 45 | 0.5% |
| (877) 637-7343 | 28 | 0.3% |
| (619) 584-0093 | 17 | 0.2% |
| (888) 307-0680 | 16 | 0.2% |
| (412) 595-0081 | 14 | 0.2% |
| (786) 209-0861 | 14 | 0.2% |
| (660) 530-0029 | 13 | 0.2% |
| (315) 966-9777 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (844) 308-6815 | 12 | 0.1% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (844) 308-6816 | 39 | 0.5% |
| (888) 307-0680 | 17 | 0.2% |
| (855) 904-7781 | 15 | 0.2% |
| (888) 201-6452 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (660) 530-0029 | 10 | 0.1% |
| (339) 205-1490 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (800) 941-5426 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (800) 941-4389 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (800) 295-0851 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (978) 237-9648 | 6 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (844) 308-6816 stood out as the most frequently reported business contact number.
- (888) 727-1127 was reported slightly more often than other caller ID numbers.
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.