FCC Consumer Complaints – 5 March 2017
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 278 consumer complaints on Sunday, 5 March 2017 relating to telecommunications services, this was lower than the 447 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 46 states and territories, with California recording the largest share of reports at 43 complaints. Complaints relating to Billing were marginally higher than for other issue types.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 278
- States & territories reporting
- 46
- Most common issue
- Billing (80)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (43)
Where the complaints came from
Across 220 cities in 46 states and territories, a total of 278 complaints were recorded on 5 March 2017. Activity was spread across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a substantial share of complaints. 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 | 43 | 15.5% |
| Florida | 19 | 6.8% |
| New York | 19 | 6.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 19 | 6.8% |
| Texas | 17 | 6.1% |
| Illinois | 10 | 3.6% |
| Michigan | 10 | 3.6% |
| Maryland | 9 | 3.2% |
| Virginia | 9 | 3.2% |
| North Carolina | 8 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 115 | 41.4% |
Location highlight
Complaints in California were reported across 30 cities, the widest spread observed on this date.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 6 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 132 complaints. This was followed by Internet, which accounted for 77 complaints.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 132 | 47.5% |
| Internet | 77 | 27.7% |
| TV | 56 | 20.1% |
| Radio | 11 | 4.0% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.4% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.4% |
Phone complaints
132 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 47.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 70 | 53.0% |
| Billing | 29 | 22.0% |
| Equipment | 10 | 7.6% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 6 | 4.5% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 4 | 3.0% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 4 | 3.0% |
| Privacy | 3 | 2.3% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 2 | 1.5% |
| Junk Faxes | 2 | 1.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 1.5% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided 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
77 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 27.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 30 | 39.0% |
| Speed | 13 | 16.9% |
| Availability | 9 | 11.7% |
| Interference | 9 | 11.7% |
| Privacy | 6 | 7.8% |
| Equipment | 5 | 6.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 5 | 6.5% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Speed and Availability among the most common.
TV complaints
56 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 20.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 21 | 37.5% |
| Availability | 15 | 26.8% |
| Loud Commercials | 8 | 14.3% |
| Equipment | 6 | 10.7% |
| Indecency | 4 | 7.1% |
| Interference | 2 | 3.6% |
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.