FCC Consumer Complaints – January 2017
Introduction
In January 2017, 24930 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented an increase from the 21120 complaints recorded the previous month. Reports were received from 54 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
- 24930
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 54
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (11067)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (2969)
Daily complaint activity
Daily complaint activity averaged 804.2 complaints per day during the month. The busiest day was 24 January 2017, when 1232 complaints were recorded, and 20 days were above the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 1 January 2017, with 253 complaints, noticeably below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
A total of 24930 complaints were recorded in January 2017, with reports originating from 5711 cities in 54 states and territories. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 130 of the 167 complaints recorded in the state.
The monthly distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 2969 | 11.9% |
| Florida | 1877 | 7.5% |
| Texas | 1834 | 7.4% |
| New York | 1422 | 5.7% |
| Maryland | 1110 | 4.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 1075 | 4.3% |
| Illinois | 957 | 3.8% |
| Georgia | 844 | 3.4% |
| New Jersey | 817 | 3.3% |
| Michigan | 765 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 11229 | 45.0% |
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 was the most reported category, with 16283 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 16283 | 65.3% |
| Internet | 4464 | 17.9% |
| TV | 3180 | 12.8% |
| Radio | 893 | 3.6% |
| Emergency | 60 | 0.2% |
| Accessibility | 43 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 7 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
16283 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 65.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 11067 | 68.0% |
| Billing | 2453 | 15.1% |
| Equipment | 662 | 4.1% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 631 | 3.9% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 381 | 2.3% |
| Privacy | 312 | 1.9% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 270 | 1.7% |
| Junk Faxes | 238 | 1.5% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 154 | 0.9% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 69 | 0.4% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 25 | 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
4464 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 17.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1645 | 36.9% |
| Availability | 803 | 18.0% |
| Speed | 739 | 16.6% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 477 | 10.7% |
| Privacy | 278 | 6.2% |
| Interference | 274 | 6.1% |
| Equipment | 248 | 5.6% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability and Speed among the most common.
TV complaints
3180 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 12.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1539 | 48.4% |
| Availability | 1007 | 31.7% |
| Equipment | 266 | 8.4% |
| Loud Commercials | 120 | 3.8% |
| Indecency | 106 | 3.3% |
| Interference | 91 | 2.9% |
| Privacy | 45 | 1.4% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 5 | 0.2% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Radio complaints
893 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 3.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 607 | 68.0% |
| Indecency | 116 | 13.0% |
| Pirate Radio | 83 | 9.3% |
| Availability | 40 | 4.5% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 19 | 2.1% |
| Billing | 15 | 1.7% |
| Equipment | 13 | 1.5% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Interference and Indecency, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Emergency complaints
60 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 21 | 35.0% |
| Phone | 19 | 31.7% |
| Interference | 18 | 30.0% |
| Tower | 2 | 3.3% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Other and Phone, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Accessibility complaints
43 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning on TV | 14 | 32.6% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 11 | 25.6% |
| Video Description | 9 | 20.9% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 5 | 11.6% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 2 | 4.7% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 1 | 2.3% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Closed Captioning on TV, Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) and Video Description among the most common.
Unwanted calls
11067 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 44.4% of all complaints. Reports referenced both caller ID numbers and business contact numbers, with number tables shown where meaningful patterns are present.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (240) 447-4572 | 29 | 0.3% |
| (201) 285-1836 | 21 | 0.2% |
| (800) 255-1412 | 21 | 0.2% |
| (858) 900-3090 | 19 | 0.2% |
| (551) 258-8006 | 18 | 0.2% |
| (315) 368-4025 | 16 | 0.1% |
| (562) 358-9914 | 16 | 0.1% |
| (619) 584-0093 | 16 | 0.1% |
| (351) 207-8922 | 15 | 0.1% |
| (972) 370-5238 | 15 | 0.1% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (800) 203-1551 | 19 | 0.2% |
| (800) 626-9512 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (855) 811-2106 | 10 | 0.1% |
| (800) 360-0998 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (888) 307-0680 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (240) 447-4572 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (559) 254-7623 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (800) 847-2911 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (800) 847-5103 | 7 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (800) 203-1551 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- (240) 447-4572 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.