FCC Consumer Complaints – August 2017
Introduction
A total of 34536 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission in August 2017, complaint volume increased from 27993 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 22801 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 34536
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 55
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (22801)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (3577)
Daily complaint activity
Across the month, the FCC recorded an average of 1114.1 complaints per day. The highest daily total was 1546 complaints on 23 August 2017, while 23 days recorded more complaints than the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 13 August 2017, with 276 complaints, noticeably below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
In August 2017, the 34536 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 6684 cities across 55 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, a significant concentration was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 139 of the 165 complaints recorded.
The table below summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory during the month, ordered by total reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 3577 | 10.4% |
| Florida | 2719 | 7.9% |
| Texas | 2265 | 6.6% |
| New York | 2221 | 6.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 1401 | 4.1% |
| Illinois | 1336 | 3.9% |
| New Jersey | 1325 | 3.8% |
| Georgia | 1308 | 3.8% |
| Ohio | 1268 | 3.7% |
| Virginia | 1259 | 3.6% |
| Other states and territories | 15809 | 45.8% |
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 27966 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 27966 | 81.0% |
| TV | 3118 | 9.0% |
| Internet | 2856 | 8.3% |
| Radio | 431 | 1.2% |
| Accessibility | 92 | 0.3% |
| Emergency | 61 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 12 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
27966 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 81.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 22801 | 81.5% |
| Billing | 2000 | 7.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 835 | 3.0% |
| Equipment | 670 | 2.4% |
| Privacy | 463 | 1.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 388 | 1.4% |
| Junk Faxes | 305 | 1.1% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 203 | 0.7% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 174 | 0.6% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 74 | 0.3% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 35 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 18 | 0.1% |
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. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
TV complaints
3118 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 9.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1576 | 50.5% |
| Availability | 579 | 18.6% |
| Loud Commercials | 289 | 9.3% |
| Equipment | 264 | 8.5% |
| Indecency | 226 | 7.2% |
| Interference | 111 | 3.6% |
| Privacy | 53 | 1.7% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 20 | 0.6% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Internet complaints
2856 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 8.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 933 | 32.7% |
| Availability | 633 | 22.2% |
| Speed | 560 | 19.6% |
| Equipment | 229 | 8.0% |
| Interference | 183 | 6.4% |
| Privacy | 173 | 6.1% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 145 | 5.1% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
Radio complaints
431 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 140 | 32.5% |
| Indecency | 129 | 29.9% |
| Pirate Radio | 106 | 24.6% |
| Availability | 24 | 5.6% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 16 | 3.7% |
| Billing | 10 | 2.3% |
| Equipment | 6 | 1.4% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Interference and Indecency, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Accessibility complaints
92 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning on TV | 67 | 72.8% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 9 | 9.8% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 7 | 7.6% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 6 | 6.5% |
| Video Description | 1 | 1.1% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Closed Captioning on TV and Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS), with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Emergency complaints
61 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 24 | 39.3% |
| Other | 17 | 27.9% |
| Phone | 11 | 18.0% |
| Interference | 9 | 14.8% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Tower and Other, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Unwanted calls
22801 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 66% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (555) 555-5555 | 73 | 0.3% |
| (614) 398-4078 | 32 | 0.1% |
| (304) 238-7564 | 23 | 0.1% |
| (425) 242-5190 | 23 | 0.1% |
| (206) 706-8222 | 22 | 0.1% |
| (334) 693-7341 | 19 | 0.1% |
| (385) 399-3344 | 19 | 0.1% |
| (559) 206-5566 | 19 | 0.1% |
| (631) 230-2022 | 18 | 0.1% |
| (706) 444-6376 | 18 | 0.1% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (555) 555-5555 | 155 | 0.7% |
| (614) 398-4078 | 24 | 0.1% |
| (800) 689-0105 | 23 | 0.1% |
| (844) 369-3850 | 21 | 0.1% |
| (706) 444-6376 | 19 | 0.1% |
| (334) 693-7341 | 17 | 0.1% |
| (425) 242-5190 | 17 | 0.1% |
| (305) 328-8698 | 16 | 0.1% |
| (469) 998-9755 | 16 | 0.1% |
| (547) 818-4222 | 16 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (555) 555-5555 stood out as the most frequently reported business contact number.
- (555) 555-5555 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.