FCC Consumer Complaints – 15 February 2017
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 1077 consumer complaints on 15 February 2017 relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume fell from 1141 complaints the day before. Reports were received from 49 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 616 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1077
- States & territories reporting
- 49
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (616)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (124)
Where the complaints came from
The 1077 complaints recorded on 15 February 2017 originated from 727 cities across 49 states and territories. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.
The table below summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory on this date, ordered by total reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 124 | 11.5% |
| Florida | 71 | 6.6% |
| New York | 71 | 6.6% |
| Maryland | 63 | 5.8% |
| Texas | 62 | 5.8% |
| Illinois | 52 | 4.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 44 | 4.1% |
| Georgia | 41 | 3.8% |
| Virginia | 39 | 3.6% |
| Ohio | 36 | 3.3% |
| Other states and territories | 474 | 44.0% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 6 complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 799 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 799 | 74.2% |
| Internet | 129 | 12.0% |
| TV | 104 | 9.7% |
| Radio | 40 | 3.7% |
| Accessibility | 3 | 0.3% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
799 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 74.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 616 | 77.1% |
| Billing | 88 | 11.0% |
| Equipment | 24 | 3.0% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 19 | 2.4% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 17 | 2.1% |
| Junk Faxes | 9 | 1.1% |
| Privacy | 9 | 1.1% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 7 | 0.9% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 5 | 0.6% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 4 | 0.5% |
| Rural Call Completion | 1 | 0.1% |
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.
Internet complaints
129 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 53 | 41.1% |
| Availability | 20 | 15.5% |
| Speed | 17 | 13.2% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 15 | 11.6% |
| Privacy | 9 | 7.0% |
| Equipment | 8 | 6.2% |
| Interference | 7 | 5.4% |
Billing accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
104 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 65 | 62.5% |
| Availability | 15 | 14.4% |
| Equipment | 10 | 9.6% |
| Indecency | 5 | 4.8% |
| Interference | 5 | 4.8% |
| Loud Commercials | 3 | 2.9% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.0% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Radio complaints
40 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 3.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 24 | 60.0% |
| Indecency | 7 | 17.5% |
| Pirate Radio | 7 | 17.5% |
| Availability | 1 | 2.5% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 1 | 2.5% |
Interference and Indecency accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
There were 616 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 57.2% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (317) 491-6397 | 8 | 1.3% |
| (516) 231-0987 | 8 | 1.3% |
| (254) 796-2876 | 5 | 0.8% |
| (201) 754-1048 | 4 | 0.6% |
| (434) 829-9228 | 4 | 0.6% |
| (480) 423-0723 | 4 | 0.6% |
| (509) 765-0577 | 4 | 0.6% |
| (540) 743-4610 | 4 | 0.6% |
| (206) 596-0974 | 3 | 0.5% |
| (347) 474-3298 | 3 | 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.
- Several caller ID numbers were reported multiple times, with no single number clearly ahead of the others.
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.