FCC Consumer Complaints – 26 September 2017

Introduction

On 26 September 2017, 1065 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was higher than the 1024 complaints recorded the previous day. Reports were received from 50 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 581 complaints recorded.

Key statistics

Total complaints
1065
States & territories reporting
50
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (581)
Most reported state/territory
California (145)

Where the complaints came from

On 26 September 2017, the 1065 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 761 cities across 50 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 table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this date, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.

State/Territory Complaints
California 145 13.6%
Florida 84 7.9%
Texas 72 6.8%
New York 64 6.0%
Ohio 42 3.9%
Virginia 41 3.8%
Pennsylvania 37 3.5%
Maryland 36 3.4%
Georgia 33 3.1%
Illinois 31 2.9%
Other states and territories 477 44.8%

What the complaints were about

Complaints recorded on this date related to 6 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 809 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 809 76.0%
TV 123 11.5%
Internet 111 10.4%
Radio 18 1.7%
Emergency 3 0.3%
Request for Dispute Assistance 1 0.1%

Phone complaints

809 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 76.0% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 581 71.8%
Billing 89 11.0%
Availability (including rural call completion) 28 3.5%
Junk Faxes 28 3.5%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 24 3.0%
Equipment 22 2.7%
Privacy 22 2.7%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 7 0.9%
Interference (including signal jammers) 7 0.9%
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, Availability (including rural call completion) and Junk Faxes.

TV complaints

123 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.5% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 52 42.3%
Availability 30 24.4%
Equipment 13 10.6%
Loud Commercials 13 10.6%
Indecency 8 6.5%
Interference 5 4.1%
Privacy 2 1.6%

The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.

Internet complaints

111 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.4% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 34 30.6%
Availability 28 25.2%
Speed 15 13.5%
Interference 11 9.9%
Equipment 8 7.2%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 8 7.2%
Privacy 7 6.3%

Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.

Page last updated: 10 December 2018 with FCC complaints data from 26 September 2017.

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.