FCC Consumer Complaints – 5 October 2017
Introduction
On Thursday, 5 October 2017, 1178 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented a decline from the 1197 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 53 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 700 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1178
- States & territories reporting
- 53
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (700)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (130)
Where the complaints came from
Across 818 cities in 53 states and territories, a total of 1178 complaints were recorded on 5 October 2017. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. 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 | 130 | 11.0% |
| Florida | 113 | 9.6% |
| Texas | 90 | 7.6% |
| New York | 69 | 5.9% |
| Pennsylvania | 67 | 5.7% |
| Georgia | 54 | 4.6% |
| Ohio | 42 | 3.6% |
| New Jersey | 41 | 3.5% |
| North Carolina | 40 | 3.4% |
| Colorado | 34 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 495 | 42.0% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 5 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 911 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 911 | 77.3% |
| TV | 160 | 13.6% |
| Internet | 91 | 7.7% |
| Radio | 14 | 1.2% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
911 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 77.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 700 | 76.8% |
| Billing | 102 | 11.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 32 | 3.5% |
| Privacy | 18 | 2.0% |
| Equipment | 17 | 1.9% |
| Junk Faxes | 15 | 1.6% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 9 | 1.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 8 | 0.9% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 5 | 0.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 4 | 0.4% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.1% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Privacy among the most common.
TV complaints
160 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 13.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 68 | 42.5% |
| Availability | 31 | 19.4% |
| Indecency | 23 | 14.4% |
| Loud Commercials | 14 | 8.8% |
| Interference | 12 | 7.5% |
| Equipment | 9 | 5.6% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 1.3% |
| Privacy | 1 | 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
91 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 30 | 33.0% |
| Availability | 19 | 20.9% |
| Speed | 15 | 16.5% |
| Equipment | 12 | 13.2% |
| Privacy | 6 | 6.6% |
| Interference | 5 | 5.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 4 | 4.4% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability and Speed among the most 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.