FCC Consumer Complaints – 2017
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 332899 consumer complaints in 2017 relating to telecommunications services. The complaints came from 56 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 185328 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 332899
- Months with complaint data
- 12
- Months with complaints
- 12
- Days with complaint data
- 365
- Days with complaints
- 365
- States & territories reporting
- 56
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (185328)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (39129)
Monthly complaint activity
Across the year, the FCC recorded an average of 27741.6 complaints per month. The highest monthly total was 34827 complaints in May 2017, while 7 months recorded more complaints than the yearly monthly average.
Each bar represents one month of the year. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
A total of 332899 complaints were recorded in 2017, with reports originating from 17949 cities in 56 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. Despite the overall distribution, a notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 1533 of the 1867 complaints recorded in the state.
The table below summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory during the year, ordered by total reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 39129 | 11.8% |
| Florida | 26121 | 7.8% |
| Texas | 23304 | 7.0% |
| New York | 19470 | 5.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 14095 | 4.2% |
| Illinois | 12125 | 3.6% |
| Ohio | 12038 | 3.6% |
| Georgia | 11237 | 3.4% |
| Virginia | 10592 | 3.2% |
| New Jersey | 10523 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 153428 | 46.1% |
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
Complaints recorded during the year related to 7 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 241316 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 241316 | 72.5% |
| TV | 43682 | 13.1% |
| Internet | 39807 | 12.0% |
| Radio | 6692 | 2.0% |
| Accessibility | 657 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 586 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 159 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
241316 complaints were recorded in this category during the year, representing 72.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 185328 | 76.8% |
| Billing | 23559 | 9.8% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 8030 | 3.3% |
| Equipment | 7318 | 3.0% |
| Privacy | 4364 | 1.8% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 4139 | 1.7% |
| Junk Faxes | 3201 | 1.3% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 2406 | 1.0% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 1836 | 0.8% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 524 | 0.2% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 312 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 282 | 0.1% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
TV complaints
43682 complaints were recorded in this category during the year, representing 13.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 17243 | 39.5% |
| Indecency | 10861 | 24.9% |
| Availability | 6639 | 15.2% |
| Loud Commercials | 3185 | 7.3% |
| Equipment | 3037 | 7.0% |
| Interference | 1491 | 3.4% |
| Privacy | 646 | 1.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 579 | 1.3% |
Billing and Indecency were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Internet complaints
39807 complaints were recorded in this category during the year, representing 12.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 12148 | 30.5% |
| Availability | 7570 | 19.0% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 6698 | 16.8% |
| Speed | 6316 | 15.9% |
| Equipment | 2480 | 6.2% |
| Interference | 2478 | 6.2% |
| Privacy | 2113 | 5.3% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability and Open Internet/Net Neutrality.
Radio complaints
6692 complaints were recorded in this category during the year, representing 2.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 3453 | 51.6% |
| Indecency | 1303 | 19.5% |
| Pirate Radio | 1067 | 15.9% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 277 | 4.1% |
| Availability | 258 | 3.9% |
| Equipment | 189 | 2.8% |
| Billing | 145 | 2.2% |
Interference and Indecency were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Accessibility complaints
657 complaints were recorded in this category during the year, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning on TV | 357 | 54.3% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 141 | 21.5% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 67 | 10.2% |
| Video Description | 30 | 4.6% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 19 | 2.9% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 13 | 2.0% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 6 | 0.9% |
Closed Captioning on TV and Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Emergency complaints
586 complaints were recorded in this category during the year, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 210 | 35.8% |
| Phone | 139 | 23.7% |
| Interference | 126 | 21.5% |
| Tower | 110 | 18.8% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Other, Phone and Interference.
Request for Dispute Assistance complaints
159 complaints were recorded in this category during the year, representing 0.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|
Unwanted calls
There were 185328 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 55.7% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact number details are listed below where there is enough concentration to make the data meaningful.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (800) 255-1412 | 160 | 0.1% |
| (317) 491-6397 | 159 | 0.1% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 127 | 0.1% |
| (800) 787-8565 | 109 | 0.1% |
| (360) 474-3351 | 99 | 0.1% |
| (800) 531-5000 | 82 | 0.0% |
| (858) 900-3090 | 77 | 0.0% |
| (607) 590-2105 | 72 | 0.0% |
| (800) 347-2683 | 69 | 0.0% |
| (516) 203-7003 | 64 | 0.0% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (555) 555-5555 | 504 | 0.3% |
| (833) 217-3824 | 71 | 0.0% |
| (855) 297-5595 | 69 | 0.0% |
| (800) 787-8565 | 68 | 0.0% |
| (844) 369-3859 | 63 | 0.0% |
| (855) 303-5660 | 62 | 0.0% |
| (888) 240-0182 | 55 | 0.0% |
| (888) 380-0825 | 55 | 0.0% |
| (949) 201-2330 | 53 | 0.0% |
| (800) 689-0105 | 48 | 0.0% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (555) 555-5555 stood out as the most frequently reported business contact number.
- (800) 255-1412 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.