FCC Consumer Complaints – 2 December 2016
Introduction
A total of 792 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on Friday, 2 December 2016, this was lower than the 980 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 48 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
- 792
- States & territories reporting
- 48
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (350)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (102)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 792 complaints were recorded on 2 December 2016, with reports originating from 578 cities in 48 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 | 102 | 12.9% |
| Florida | 71 | 9.0% |
| Texas | 63 | 8.0% |
| New York | 57 | 7.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 37 | 4.7% |
| Maryland | 31 | 3.9% |
| Ohio | 28 | 3.5% |
| Georgia | 27 | 3.4% |
| Virginia | 26 | 3.3% |
| Illinois | 25 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 325 | 41.0% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 6 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 539 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 539 | 68.1% |
| Internet | 142 | 17.9% |
| TV | 85 | 10.7% |
| Radio | 22 | 2.8% |
| Emergency | 3 | 0.4% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
539 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 68.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 350 | 64.9% |
| Billing | 111 | 20.6% |
| Equipment | 21 | 3.9% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 17 | 3.2% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 12 | 2.2% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 8 | 1.5% |
| Junk Faxes | 7 | 1.3% |
| Privacy | 7 | 1.3% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 0.4% |
| Rural Call Completion | 2 | 0.4% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 1 | 0.2% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 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. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).
Internet complaints
142 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 17.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 47 | 33.1% |
| Availability | 39 | 27.5% |
| Speed | 23 | 16.2% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 16 | 11.3% |
| Interference | 8 | 5.6% |
| Privacy | 6 | 4.2% |
| Equipment | 3 | 2.1% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
85 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 46 | 54.1% |
| Availability | 14 | 16.5% |
| Equipment | 8 | 9.4% |
| Indecency | 6 | 7.1% |
| Privacy | 6 | 7.1% |
| Loud Commercials | 3 | 3.5% |
| Interference | 2 | 2.4% |
Billing and Availability 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.