FCC Consumer Complaints – 5 February 2017
Introduction
On Sunday, 5 February 2017, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 335 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 440 complaints recorded the previous day. Reports were received from 47 states and territories, with Florida recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls recorded a slightly higher number of complaints than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 335
- States & territories reporting
- 47
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (84)
- Most reported state/territory
- Florida (35)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 335 complaints were recorded on 5 February 2017, with reports originating from 266 cities in 47 states and territories. The distribution of complaints was relatively even, with no single state or territory contributing a dominant share. 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 | |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | 35 | 10.4% |
| California | 30 | 9.0% |
| Maryland | 24 | 7.2% |
| Illinois | 19 | 5.7% |
| New York | 16 | 4.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 15 | 4.5% |
| Michigan | 14 | 4.2% |
| North Carolina | 12 | 3.6% |
| Ohio | 12 | 3.6% |
| Texas | 12 | 3.6% |
| Other states and territories | 146 | 43.6% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 5 complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 145 complaints. This was followed by Internet, which accounted for 88 complaints.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 145 | 43.3% |
| Internet | 88 | 26.3% |
| TV | 83 | 24.8% |
| Radio | 17 | 5.1% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.6% |
Phone complaints
145 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 43.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 84 | 57.9% |
| Billing | 22 | 15.2% |
| Equipment | 12 | 8.3% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 7 | 4.8% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 5 | 3.4% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 4 | 2.8% |
| Privacy | 4 | 2.8% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 3 | 2.1% |
| Junk Faxes | 2 | 1.4% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 0.7% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.7% |
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 Availability (including rural call completion).
Internet complaints
88 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 26.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 29 | 33.0% |
| Speed | 21 | 23.9% |
| Availability | 16 | 18.2% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 8 | 9.1% |
| Privacy | 6 | 6.8% |
| Interference | 5 | 5.7% |
| Equipment | 3 | 3.4% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Speed and Availability.
TV complaints
83 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 24.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Indecency | 30 | 36.1% |
| Billing | 22 | 26.5% |
| Availability | 16 | 19.3% |
| Equipment | 6 | 7.2% |
| Loud Commercials | 6 | 7.2% |
| Privacy | 3 | 3.6% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Indecency and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
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.