FCC Consumer Complaints – 9 April 2017
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 282 consumer complaints on Sunday, 9 April 2017 relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 436 complaints recorded the previous day. The complaints came from 43 states and territories, with Maryland reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Unwanted Calls recorded a slightly higher number of complaints than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 282
- States & territories reporting
- 43
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (84)
- Most reported state/territory
- Maryland (49)
Where the complaints came from
Across 208 cities in 43 states and territories, a total of 282 complaints were recorded on 9 April 2017. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. At the city level, a significant concentration was observed in Maryland, where Frederick accounted for 40 of the 49 complaints recorded.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| Maryland | 49 | 17.4% |
| California | 28 | 9.9% |
| Florida | 25 | 8.9% |
| Pennsylvania | 18 | 6.4% |
| Texas | 17 | 6.0% |
| Missouri | 11 | 3.9% |
| New York | 11 | 3.9% |
| Michigan | 10 | 3.5% |
| Connecticut | 9 | 3.2% |
| Georgia | 9 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 95 | 33.7% |
Location highlight
Frederick accounted for the majority of complaints recorded in Maryland.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 6 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 126 reports. This was followed by TV, which accounted for 57 complaints.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 126 | 44.7% |
| TV | 57 | 20.2% |
| Internet | 54 | 19.1% |
| Radio | 43 | 15.2% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.4% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.4% |
Phone complaints
126 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 44.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 84 | 66.7% |
| Billing | 15 | 11.9% |
| Equipment | 9 | 7.1% |
| Privacy | 5 | 4.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 4 | 3.2% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 3 | 2.4% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 2 | 1.6% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 2 | 1.6% |
| Junk Faxes | 1 | 0.8% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 0.8% |
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 Privacy.
TV complaints
57 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 20.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 26 | 45.6% |
| Availability | 13 | 22.8% |
| Loud Commercials | 9 | 15.8% |
| Equipment | 4 | 7.0% |
| Indecency | 3 | 5.3% |
| Interference | 2 | 3.5% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Internet complaints
54 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 19.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | 16 | 29.6% |
| Billing | 12 | 22.2% |
| Availability | 10 | 18.5% |
| Equipment | 8 | 14.8% |
| Interference | 4 | 7.4% |
| Privacy | 3 | 5.6% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 1.9% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Speed, Billing and Availability.
Radio complaints
43 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 42 | 97.7% |
| Pirate Radio | 1 | 2.3% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Interference and Pirate Radio, 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.