FCC Consumer Complaints – 5 May 2017
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 1883 consumer complaints on Friday, 5 May 2017 relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 3817 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 53 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Indecency recorded a slightly higher number of complaints than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1883
- States & territories reporting
- 53
- Most common issue
- Indecency (863)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (230)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 5 May 2017 show 1883 complaints originating from 1159 cities across 53 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. At the city level, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share of the total.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 230 | 12.2% |
| Florida | 172 | 9.1% |
| Texas | 131 | 7.0% |
| New York | 114 | 6.1% |
| Ohio | 86 | 4.6% |
| North Carolina | 74 | 3.9% |
| Georgia | 63 | 3.3% |
| New Jersey | 63 | 3.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 63 | 3.3% |
| Illinois | 56 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 830 | 44.1% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 6 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within TV, which accounted for 964 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| TV | 964 | 51.2% |
| Phone | 809 | 43.0% |
| Internet | 92 | 4.9% |
| Radio | 14 | 0.7% |
| Emergency | 3 | 0.2% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
TV complaints
964 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 51.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Indecency | 860 | 89.2% |
| Billing | 52 | 5.4% |
| Availability | 28 | 2.9% |
| Equipment | 8 | 0.8% |
| Loud Commercials | 6 | 0.6% |
| Privacy | 5 | 0.5% |
| Interference | 4 | 0.4% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 0.1% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Indecency and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Phone complaints
809 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 43.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 659 | 81.5% |
| Billing | 64 | 7.9% |
| Equipment | 21 | 2.6% |
| Privacy | 17 | 2.1% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 12 | 1.5% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 12 | 1.5% |
| Junk Faxes | 8 | 1.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 7 | 0.9% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 5 | 0.6% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 2 | 0.2% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 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. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Equipment and Privacy.
Internet complaints
92 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 4.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 30 | 32.6% |
| Billing | 26 | 28.3% |
| Speed | 15 | 16.3% |
| Interference | 7 | 7.6% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 6 | 6.5% |
| Equipment | 5 | 5.4% |
| Privacy | 3 | 3.3% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, 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.