FCC Consumer Complaints – 2 January 2017
Introduction
On Monday, 2 January 2017, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 539 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented an increase from the 253 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 46 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Unwanted Calls was reported slightly more frequently than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 539
- States & territories reporting
- 46
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (167)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (58)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 539 complaints were recorded on 2 January 2017, with reports originating from 414 cities in 46 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.
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 | 58 | 10.8% |
| Florida | 44 | 8.2% |
| New York | 40 | 7.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 34 | 6.3% |
| Maryland | 30 | 5.6% |
| Texas | 26 | 4.8% |
| Georgia | 24 | 4.5% |
| Ohio | 22 | 4.1% |
| Illinois | 16 | 3.0% |
| Massachusetts | 16 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 229 | 42.5% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 6 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 261 reports. This was followed by TV, which accounted for 145 complaints.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 261 | 48.4% |
| TV | 145 | 26.9% |
| Internet | 114 | 21.2% |
| Radio | 17 | 3.2% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
261 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 48.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 167 | 64.0% |
| Billing | 38 | 14.6% |
| Equipment | 17 | 6.5% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 14 | 5.4% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 9 | 3.4% |
| Privacy | 5 | 1.9% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 3 | 1.1% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 3 | 1.1% |
| Junk Faxes | 2 | 0.8% |
| Rural Call Completion | 2 | 0.8% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.4% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail 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.
TV complaints
145 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 26.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 74 | 51.0% |
| Billing | 40 | 27.6% |
| Loud Commercials | 10 | 6.9% |
| Equipment | 8 | 5.5% |
| Indecency | 6 | 4.1% |
| Interference | 3 | 2.1% |
| Privacy | 3 | 2.1% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 0.7% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Internet complaints
114 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 21.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 30 | 26.3% |
| Speed | 27 | 23.7% |
| Availability | 22 | 19.3% |
| Equipment | 11 | 9.6% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 11 | 9.6% |
| Privacy | 9 | 7.9% |
| Interference | 4 | 3.5% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Speed and Availability among the most common.
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.