FCC Consumer Complaints – 24 November 2017
Introduction
On Friday, 24 November 2017, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 363 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this was higher than the 269 complaints recorded the previous day. Reports were received from 48 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 160 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 363
- States & territories reporting
- 48
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (160)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (43)
Where the complaints came from
On 24 November 2017, the 363 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 290 cities across 48 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 43 | 11.8% |
| Florida | 26 | 7.2% |
| New York | 24 | 6.6% |
| Texas | 22 | 6.1% |
| Illinois | 18 | 5.0% |
| Arizona | 16 | 4.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 14 | 3.9% |
| Iowa | 13 | 3.6% |
| Georgia | 12 | 3.3% |
| Virginia | 12 | 3.3% |
| Other states and territories | 163 | 44.9% |
Location highlight
California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 33 different cities.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 5 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 238 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 238 | 65.6% |
| Internet | 57 | 15.7% |
| TV | 55 | 15.2% |
| Radio | 10 | 2.8% |
| Emergency | 3 | 0.8% |
Phone complaints
238 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 65.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 160 | 67.2% |
| Billing | 29 | 12.2% |
| Equipment | 16 | 6.7% |
| Privacy | 7 | 2.9% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 6 | 2.5% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 6 | 2.5% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 5 | 2.1% |
| Junk Faxes | 4 | 1.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 3 | 1.3% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 2 | 0.8% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Equipment and Privacy.
Internet complaints
57 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 20 | 35.1% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 11 | 19.3% |
| Availability | 8 | 14.0% |
| Interference | 6 | 10.5% |
| Speed | 6 | 10.5% |
| Privacy | 4 | 7.0% |
| Equipment | 2 | 3.5% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Open Internet/Net Neutrality and Availability.
TV complaints
55 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 22 | 40.0% |
| Loud Commercials | 17 | 30.9% |
| Availability | 6 | 10.9% |
| Equipment | 3 | 5.5% |
| Indecency | 3 | 5.5% |
| Privacy | 3 | 5.5% |
| Interference | 1 | 1.8% |
Billing and Loud Commercials were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less 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.