FCC Consumer Complaints – 16 April 2017
Introduction
A total of 208 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on Sunday, 16 April 2017, complaint volume fell from 439 complaints the previous day. The complaints came from 36 states and territories, without one location accounting for a clearly higher number of reports. Unwanted Calls was reported slightly more frequently than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 208
- States & territories reporting
- 36
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (66)
Where the complaints came from
The 208 complaints recorded on 16 April 2017 were submitted from 154 cities across 36 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large 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 | 26 | 12.5% |
| Maryland | 26 | 12.5% |
| Connecticut | 15 | 7.2% |
| Texas | 15 | 7.2% |
| Florida | 14 | 6.7% |
| Kentucky | 12 | 5.8% |
| Washington | 9 | 4.3% |
| New York | 7 | 3.4% |
| Illinois | 6 | 2.9% |
| Ohio | 6 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 72 | 34.6% |
Location highlight
California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 23 different cities.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 5 complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 108 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 108 | 51.9% |
| Internet | 39 | 18.8% |
| TV | 32 | 15.4% |
| Radio | 28 | 13.5% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.5% |
Phone complaints
108 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 51.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 66 | 61.1% |
| Billing | 24 | 22.2% |
| Equipment | 4 | 3.7% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 3 | 2.8% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 3 | 2.8% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 3 | 2.8% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 3 | 2.8% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 0.9% |
| Privacy | 1 | 0.9% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).
Internet complaints
39 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 18.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | 12 | 30.8% |
| Billing | 11 | 28.2% |
| Availability | 6 | 15.4% |
| Equipment | 4 | 10.3% |
| Interference | 3 | 7.7% |
| Privacy | 2 | 5.1% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 2.6% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Speed, Billing and Availability.
TV complaints
32 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 11 | 34.4% |
| Loud Commercials | 9 | 28.1% |
| Indecency | 5 | 15.6% |
| Availability | 4 | 12.5% |
| Interference | 2 | 6.3% |
| Privacy | 1 | 3.1% |
Billing and Loud Commercials were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Radio complaints
28 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 13.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 24 | 85.7% |
| Pirate Radio | 2 | 7.1% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 1 | 3.6% |
| Indecency | 1 | 3.6% |
Interference and Pirate Radio 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.