FCC Consumer Complaints – 12 January 2017
Introduction
On 12 January 2017, 991 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was higher than the 988 complaints recorded the previous day. Reports were received from 50 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 506 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 991
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (506)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (122)
Where the complaints came from
On 12 January 2017, the 991 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 654 cities across 50 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 distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 122 | 12.3% |
| Texas | 75 | 7.6% |
| Florida | 62 | 6.3% |
| New York | 61 | 6.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 61 | 6.2% |
| Illinois | 43 | 4.3% |
| Maryland | 41 | 4.1% |
| Ohio | 34 | 3.4% |
| Michigan | 32 | 3.2% |
| Virginia | 31 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 426 | 43.0% |
What the complaints were about
A total of 6 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 701 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 701 | 70.7% |
| Internet | 177 | 17.9% |
| TV | 71 | 7.2% |
| Radio | 37 | 3.7% |
| Emergency | 3 | 0.3% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
701 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 70.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 506 | 72.2% |
| Billing | 97 | 13.8% |
| Equipment | 31 | 4.4% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 19 | 2.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 13 | 1.9% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 9 | 1.3% |
| Junk Faxes | 9 | 1.3% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 7 | 1.0% |
| Privacy | 6 | 0.9% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 4 | 0.6% |
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
177 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 17.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 75 | 42.4% |
| Speed | 26 | 14.7% |
| Availability | 22 | 12.4% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 15 | 8.5% |
| Privacy | 15 | 8.5% |
| Equipment | 14 | 7.9% |
| Interference | 10 | 5.6% |
Billing accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
71 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 38 | 53.5% |
| Availability | 13 | 18.3% |
| Equipment | 9 | 12.7% |
| Indecency | 6 | 8.5% |
| Interference | 2 | 2.8% |
| Privacy | 2 | 2.8% |
| Loud Commercials | 1 | 1.4% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Radio complaints
37 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 3.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 27 | 73.0% |
| Indecency | 5 | 13.5% |
| Availability | 3 | 8.1% |
| Pirate Radio | 2 | 5.4% |
Interference and Indecency were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Unwanted calls
506 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 51.1% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (630) 593-0079 | 5 | 1.0% |
| (505) 596-3014 | 4 | 0.8% |
| (541) 688-3315 | 4 | 0.8% |
| (303) 806-2867 | 3 | 0.6% |
| (310) 562-0972 | 3 | 0.6% |
| (319) 519-1169 | 3 | 0.6% |
| (619) 584-0093 | 3 | 0.6% |
| (818) 871-9787 | 3 | 0.6% |
| (202) 864-4377 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (206) 582-7954 | 2 | 0.4% |
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.
- (630) 593-0079 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.