FCC Consumer Complaints – June 2017
Introduction
In June 2017, 28811 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, complaint volume fell from 34827 complaints the previous month. Reports were received from 55 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 16607 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 28811
- Days with complaint data
- 30
- Days with complaints
- 30
- States & territories reporting
- 55
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (16607)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (3360)
Daily complaint activity
The month averaged 960.4 complaints per day. The highest daily count was 2609 complaints on 30 June 2017, with 20 days recording more complaints than the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 11 June 2017, with 221 complaints, noticeably below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
The 28811 complaints recorded in June 2017 originated from 6108 cities across 55 states and territories. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 162 of the 193 complaints recorded in the state.
The monthly distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 3360 | 11.7% |
| Florida | 2310 | 8.0% |
| Texas | 2176 | 7.6% |
| New York | 1608 | 5.6% |
| Pennsylvania | 1155 | 4.0% |
| Georgia | 1089 | 3.8% |
| Illinois | 1070 | 3.7% |
| Ohio | 1000 | 3.5% |
| Virginia | 922 | 3.2% |
| North Carolina | 815 | 2.8% |
| Other states and territories | 13255 | 46.0% |
Location highlight
Complaints in District of Columbia were heavily concentrated in Washington, which accounted for the majority of reports within the state.
What the complaints were about
A total of 7 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded during the month. Phone was the most reported category, with 21385 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 21385 | 74.2% |
| TV | 4268 | 14.8% |
| Internet | 2616 | 9.1% |
| Radio | 398 | 1.4% |
| Accessibility | 59 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 58 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 27 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
21385 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 74.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 16607 | 77.7% |
| Billing | 1953 | 9.1% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 767 | 3.6% |
| Equipment | 609 | 2.8% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 358 | 1.7% |
| Privacy | 342 | 1.6% |
| Junk Faxes | 317 | 1.5% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 177 | 0.8% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 171 | 0.8% |
| Rural Call Completion | 33 | 0.2% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 32 | 0.1% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 19 | 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. A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment among the most common.
TV complaints
4268 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 14.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1405 | 32.9% |
| Indecency | 1147 | 26.9% |
| Availability | 517 | 12.1% |
| Interference | 314 | 7.4% |
| Equipment | 289 | 6.8% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 285 | 6.7% |
| Loud Commercials | 231 | 5.4% |
| Privacy | 80 | 1.9% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Indecency and Availability among the most common.
Internet complaints
2616 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 9.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 882 | 33.7% |
| Availability | 540 | 20.6% |
| Speed | 480 | 18.3% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 202 | 7.7% |
| Interference | 191 | 7.3% |
| Equipment | 186 | 7.1% |
| Privacy | 134 | 5.1% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability and Speed among the most common.
Radio complaints
398 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 127 | 31.9% |
| Indecency | 105 | 26.4% |
| Pirate Radio | 80 | 20.1% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 31 | 7.8% |
| Availability | 25 | 6.3% |
| Billing | 15 | 3.8% |
| Equipment | 15 | 3.8% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Interference, Indecency and Pirate Radio among the most common.
Accessibility complaints
59 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning on TV | 39 | 66.1% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 11 | 18.6% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 3 | 5.1% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 2 | 3.4% |
Closed Captioning on TV and Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Emergency complaints
58 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 28 | 48.3% |
| Phone | 11 | 19.0% |
| Interference | 10 | 17.2% |
| Tower | 9 | 15.5% |
Other and Phone were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Unwanted calls
16607 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 57.6% of all complaints. Reports referenced both caller ID numbers and business contact numbers, with number tables shown where meaningful patterns are present.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (214) 974-9437 | 56 | 0.3% |
| (216) 421-8619 | 28 | 0.2% |
| (800) 808-0801 | 23 | 0.1% |
| (310) 494-2474 | 19 | 0.1% |
| (720) 328-6303 | 19 | 0.1% |
| (650) 771-5765 | 18 | 0.1% |
| (401) 466-6082 | 15 | 0.1% |
| (470) 558-9544 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (805) 637-7243 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (515) 865-2479 | 13 | 0.1% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (555) 555-5555 | 38 | 0.2% |
| (214) 974-9437 | 27 | 0.2% |
| (888) 223-2916 | 18 | 0.1% |
| (888) 295-3953 | 18 | 0.1% |
| (805) 637-7243 | 17 | 0.1% |
| (888) 380-0825 | 17 | 0.1% |
| (720) 328-6303 | 16 | 0.1% |
| (844) 568-2989 | 15 | 0.1% |
| (800) 808-0801 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (619) 639-7982 | 13 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (555) 555-5555 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- (214) 974-9437 stood out as the most frequently reported caller ID number.
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.