FCC Consumer Complaints – 2 March 2017
Introduction
A total of 988 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on 2 March 2017, this represented a decline from the 1000 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 49 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 471 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 988
- States & territories reporting
- 49
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (471)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (121)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 2 March 2017 show 988 complaints originating from 692 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. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 121 | 12.2% |
| Texas | 88 | 8.9% |
| Florida | 78 | 7.9% |
| New York | 60 | 6.1% |
| Georgia | 48 | 4.9% |
| Maryland | 47 | 4.8% |
| Arizona | 45 | 4.6% |
| Michigan | 38 | 3.8% |
| Illinois | 37 | 3.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 37 | 3.7% |
| Other states and territories | 382 | 38.7% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 6 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 687 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 687 | 69.5% |
| Internet | 156 | 15.8% |
| TV | 126 | 12.8% |
| Radio | 15 | 1.5% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
687 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 69.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 471 | 68.6% |
| Billing | 96 | 14.0% |
| Equipment | 48 | 7.0% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 23 | 3.3% |
| Junk Faxes | 18 | 2.6% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 13 | 1.9% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 7 | 1.0% |
| Privacy | 4 | 0.6% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 3 | 0.4% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 3 | 0.4% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 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. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).
Internet complaints
156 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 58 | 37.2% |
| Availability | 30 | 19.2% |
| Speed | 26 | 16.7% |
| Interference | 15 | 9.6% |
| Privacy | 13 | 8.3% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 10 | 6.4% |
| Equipment | 4 | 2.6% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
TV complaints
126 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 72 | 57.1% |
| Availability | 15 | 11.9% |
| Equipment | 12 | 9.5% |
| Indecency | 12 | 9.5% |
| Loud Commercials | 10 | 7.9% |
| Interference | 4 | 3.2% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 0.8% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, 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.