FCC Consumer Complaints – 15 March 2017
Introduction
On 15 March 2017, 1050 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, complaint volume increased from 1036 complaints the previous day. The complaints came from 51 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 582 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1050
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (582)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (102)
Where the complaints came from
Across 726 cities in 51 states and territories, a total of 1050 complaints were recorded on 15 March 2017. The complaints were widely dispersed, with no single state or territory representing a notable proportion of the total. 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 | 102 | 9.7% |
| Texas | 86 | 8.2% |
| Florida | 75 | 7.1% |
| New York | 65 | 6.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 54 | 5.1% |
| Michigan | 44 | 4.2% |
| Ohio | 44 | 4.2% |
| New Jersey | 43 | 4.1% |
| Maryland | 34 | 3.2% |
| Virginia | 33 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 469 | 44.7% |
Location highlight
Complaints in California were reported across 75 cities, the widest spread observed on this date.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 7 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 769 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 769 | 73.2% |
| Internet | 134 | 12.8% |
| TV | 117 | 11.1% |
| Radio | 24 | 2.3% |
| Accessibility | 4 | 0.4% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
769 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 73.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 582 | 75.7% |
| Billing | 87 | 11.3% |
| Equipment | 19 | 2.5% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 18 | 2.3% |
| Junk Faxes | 17 | 2.2% |
| Privacy | 13 | 1.7% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 12 | 1.6% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 11 | 1.4% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 8 | 1.0% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 0.3% |
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
134 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 49 | 36.6% |
| Speed | 33 | 24.6% |
| Availability | 29 | 21.6% |
| Equipment | 12 | 9.0% |
| Privacy | 5 | 3.7% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 4 | 3.0% |
| Interference | 2 | 1.5% |
Billing and Speed were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
117 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 53 | 45.3% |
| Availability | 27 | 23.1% |
| Equipment | 12 | 10.3% |
| Loud Commercials | 9 | 7.7% |
| Indecency | 7 | 6.0% |
| Privacy | 6 | 5.1% |
| Interference | 3 | 2.6% |
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.