FCC Consumer Complaints – 15 January 2017
Introduction
On Sunday, 15 January 2017, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 317 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this was lower than the 406 complaints recorded the previous day. Reports were received from 44 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Complaints relating to Billing were marginally higher than for other issue types.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 317
- States & territories reporting
- 44
- Most common issue
- Billing (85)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (42)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 15 January 2017 show 317 complaints originating from 241 cities across 44 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in Maryland, where Frederick accounted for 25 of the 35 complaints recorded in the state.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 42 | 13.2% |
| Maryland | 35 | 11.0% |
| Illinois | 22 | 6.9% |
| Florida | 21 | 6.6% |
| Texas | 18 | 5.7% |
| Kentucky | 17 | 5.4% |
| New York | 13 | 4.1% |
| Ohio | 13 | 4.1% |
| Oregon | 11 | 3.5% |
| Michigan | 10 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 115 | 36.3% |
Location highlights
- Complaints in Maryland were heavily concentrated in Frederick, which accounted for the majority of reports within the state.
- Complaints in California were reported across 31 cities, the widest spread observed on this date.
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 5 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 157 complaints. This was followed by Internet, which accounted for 88 complaints.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 157 | 49.5% |
| Internet | 88 | 27.8% |
| TV | 44 | 13.9% |
| Radio | 27 | 8.5% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.3% |
Phone complaints
157 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 49.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 76 | 48.4% |
| Billing | 36 | 22.9% |
| Equipment | 13 | 8.3% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 10 | 6.4% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 9 | 5.7% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 6 | 3.8% |
| Privacy | 3 | 1.9% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 2 | 1.3% |
| Junk Faxes | 2 | 1.3% |
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. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Equipment and Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers).
Internet complaints
88 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 27.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 29 | 33.0% |
| Speed | 19 | 21.6% |
| Availability | 17 | 19.3% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 9 | 10.2% |
| Interference | 6 | 6.8% |
| Equipment | 4 | 4.5% |
| Privacy | 4 | 4.5% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Speed and Availability.
TV complaints
44 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 13.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 20 | 45.5% |
| Availability | 11 | 25.0% |
| Equipment | 4 | 9.1% |
| Indecency | 4 | 9.1% |
| Interference | 3 | 6.8% |
| Loud Commercials | 1 | 2.3% |
| Privacy | 1 | 2.3% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less 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.