FCC Consumer Complaints – 14 April 2017
Introduction
On Friday, 14 April 2017, 881 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, complaint volume fell from 1309 complaints the day before. Complaints were reported across 50 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 546 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 881
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (546)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (107)
Where the complaints came from
Across 624 cities in 50 states and territories, a total of 881 complaints were recorded on 14 April 2017. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. 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 | 107 | 12.1% |
| Florida | 70 | 7.9% |
| New York | 65 | 7.4% |
| Texas | 46 | 5.2% |
| Maryland | 37 | 4.2% |
| Illinois | 34 | 3.9% |
| Arizona | 33 | 3.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 33 | 3.7% |
| Ohio | 30 | 3.4% |
| New Jersey | 29 | 3.3% |
| Other states and territories | 397 | 45.1% |
Location highlight
Complaints in California were reported across 79 cities, the widest spread observed on this date.
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 7 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 669 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 669 | 75.9% |
| Internet | 109 | 12.4% |
| TV | 71 | 8.1% |
| Radio | 28 | 3.2% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
669 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 75.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 546 | 81.6% |
| Billing | 49 | 7.3% |
| Equipment | 17 | 2.5% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 12 | 1.8% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 12 | 1.8% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 11 | 1.6% |
| Junk Faxes | 9 | 1.3% |
| Privacy | 7 | 1.0% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 5 | 0.7% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 0.1% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).
Internet complaints
109 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 37 | 33.9% |
| Availability | 22 | 20.2% |
| Speed | 19 | 17.4% |
| Equipment | 12 | 11.0% |
| Interference | 9 | 8.3% |
| Privacy | 9 | 8.3% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 0.9% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
TV complaints
71 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 40 | 56.3% |
| Availability | 11 | 15.5% |
| Equipment | 9 | 12.7% |
| Interference | 4 | 5.6% |
| Indecency | 3 | 4.2% |
| Loud Commercials | 3 | 4.2% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.4% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
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.