FCC Consumer Complaints – 10 March 2017
Introduction
On 10 March 2017, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1034 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this was higher than the 1024 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 52 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 584 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1034
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (584)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (103)
Where the complaints came from
On 10 March 2017, the 1034 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 727 cities across 52 states and territories. Complaints were spread broadly across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a significant share. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 103 | 10.0% |
| Florida | 85 | 8.2% |
| Texas | 68 | 6.6% |
| New York | 64 | 6.2% |
| Illinois | 54 | 5.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 48 | 4.6% |
| New Jersey | 43 | 4.2% |
| Ohio | 43 | 4.2% |
| Maryland | 35 | 3.4% |
| Georgia | 33 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 458 | 44.3% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 7 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 780 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 780 | 75.4% |
| Internet | 118 | 11.4% |
| TV | 102 | 9.9% |
| Radio | 27 | 2.6% |
| Accessibility | 4 | 0.4% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
780 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 75.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 584 | 74.9% |
| Billing | 97 | 12.4% |
| Equipment | 22 | 2.8% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 21 | 2.7% |
| Privacy | 18 | 2.3% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 14 | 1.8% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 9 | 1.2% |
| Junk Faxes | 8 | 1.0% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 2 | 0.3% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 0.3% |
| Rural Call Completion | 2 | 0.3% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.1% |
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. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).
Internet complaints
118 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 46 | 39.0% |
| Availability | 21 | 17.8% |
| Speed | 21 | 17.8% |
| Equipment | 9 | 7.6% |
| Privacy | 9 | 7.6% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 7 | 5.9% |
| Interference | 5 | 4.2% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
TV complaints
102 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 58 | 56.9% |
| Availability | 19 | 18.6% |
| Equipment | 12 | 11.8% |
| Loud Commercials | 6 | 5.9% |
| Indecency | 4 | 3.9% |
| Interference | 2 | 2.0% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.0% |
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.