FCC Consumer Complaints – 5 January 2017
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 1079 consumer complaints on Thursday, 5 January 2017 relating to telecommunications services, this was lower than the 1087 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 51 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
- 1079
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (426)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (132)
Where the complaints came from
On 5 January 2017, the 1079 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 704 cities across 51 states and territories. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. 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 | 132 | 12.2% |
| Florida | 128 | 11.9% |
| Texas | 81 | 7.5% |
| New York | 61 | 5.7% |
| Maryland | 38 | 3.5% |
| Washington | 38 | 3.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 37 | 3.4% |
| Ohio | 34 | 3.2% |
| Virginia | 34 | 3.2% |
| Illinois | 33 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 463 | 42.9% |
What the complaints were about
A total of 6 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. Phone was the most reported category, with 663 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 663 | 61.4% |
| TV | 252 | 23.4% |
| Internet | 132 | 12.2% |
| Radio | 26 | 2.4% |
| Emergency | 4 | 0.4% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
663 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 61.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 426 | 64.3% |
| Billing | 104 | 15.7% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 24 | 3.6% |
| Equipment | 24 | 3.6% |
| Junk Faxes | 23 | 3.5% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 21 | 3.2% |
| Privacy | 18 | 2.7% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 14 | 2.1% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 5 | 0.8% |
| Rural Call Completion | 2 | 0.3% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 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. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
TV complaints
252 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 23.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 117 | 46.4% |
| Billing | 86 | 34.1% |
| Loud Commercials | 19 | 7.5% |
| Equipment | 16 | 6.3% |
| Indecency | 7 | 2.8% |
| Interference | 4 | 1.6% |
| Privacy | 3 | 1.2% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Internet complaints
132 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 53 | 40.2% |
| Availability | 23 | 17.4% |
| Speed | 19 | 14.4% |
| Interference | 12 | 9.1% |
| Equipment | 9 | 6.8% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 8 | 6.1% |
| Privacy | 8 | 6.1% |
Billing accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
There were 426 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 39.5% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (551) 258-8006 | 13 | 3.1% |
| (309) 542-0616 | 3 | 0.7% |
| (310) 447-5801 | 3 | 0.7% |
| (515) 215-4949 | 3 | 0.7% |
| (630) 808-9143 | 3 | 0.7% |
| (830) 212-6717 | 3 | 0.7% |
| (201) 604-4623 | 2 | 0.5% |
| (214) 227-4110 | 2 | 0.5% |
| (256) 824-0385 | 2 | 0.5% |
| (316) 768-0731 | 2 | 0.5% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- Reports were spread across many different business contact numbers, with no single number dominating.
- (551) 258-8006 stood out as the most frequently reported caller ID number.
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.