FCC Consumer Complaints – 9 December 2016
Introduction
On Friday, 9 December 2016, 860 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was lower than the 868 complaints recorded the previous day. Reports were received from 49 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls recorded a slightly higher number of complaints than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 860
- States & territories reporting
- 49
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (386)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (106)
Where the complaints came from
The 860 complaints recorded on 9 December 2016 originated from 606 cities across 49 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large 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 shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this date, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 106 | 12.3% |
| Florida | 77 | 9.0% |
| New York | 56 | 6.5% |
| Texas | 53 | 6.2% |
| Ohio | 47 | 5.5% |
| Maryland | 40 | 4.7% |
| Illinois | 37 | 4.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 32 | 3.7% |
| Michigan | 28 | 3.3% |
| New Jersey | 28 | 3.3% |
| Other states and territories | 355 | 41.3% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 6 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 583 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 583 | 67.8% |
| Internet | 140 | 16.3% |
| TV | 92 | 10.7% |
| Radio | 41 | 4.8% |
| Emergency | 3 | 0.3% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
583 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 67.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 386 | 66.2% |
| Billing | 103 | 17.7% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 33 | 5.7% |
| Equipment | 26 | 4.5% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 11 | 1.9% |
| Privacy | 7 | 1.2% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 6 | 1.0% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 5 | 0.9% |
| Junk Faxes | 4 | 0.7% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 0.2% |
| Rural Call Completion | 1 | 0.2% |
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. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
Internet complaints
140 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 16.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 47 | 33.6% |
| Availability | 38 | 27.1% |
| Speed | 18 | 12.9% |
| Interference | 15 | 10.7% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 10 | 7.1% |
| Equipment | 7 | 5.0% |
| Privacy | 5 | 3.6% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
92 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 46 | 50.0% |
| Availability | 19 | 20.7% |
| Equipment | 10 | 10.9% |
| Indecency | 8 | 8.7% |
| Loud Commercials | 6 | 6.5% |
| Interference | 2 | 2.2% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Radio complaints
41 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 4.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 31 | 75.6% |
| Indecency | 4 | 9.8% |
| Availability | 3 | 7.3% |
| Pirate Radio | 3 | 7.3% |
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.