FCC Consumer Complaints – 22 January 2018
Introduction
On Monday, 22 January 2018, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1021 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume increased from 305 complaints the previous day. The complaints came from 51 states and territories, without one location accounting for a clearly higher number of reports. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 638 complaints.
This date falls within a government shutdown period from 20 January 2018 to 22 January 2018. Complaint volumes during this period may be lower than usual.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1021
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (638)
Where the complaints came from
On 22 January 2018, the 1021 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 705 cities across 51 states and territories. The complaints were widely dispersed, with no single state or territory representing a notable proportion of the total. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 100 | 9.8% |
| Florida | 100 | 9.8% |
| Texas | 75 | 7.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 46 | 4.5% |
| Illinois | 45 | 4.4% |
| New York | 45 | 4.4% |
| Oregon | 41 | 4.0% |
| New Jersey | 38 | 3.7% |
| Michigan | 34 | 3.3% |
| Virginia | 34 | 3.3% |
| Other states and territories | 463 | 45.3% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 6 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 810 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 810 | 79.3% |
| TV | 109 | 10.7% |
| Internet | 87 | 8.5% |
| Radio | 12 | 1.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 2 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
810 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 79.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 638 | 78.8% |
| Billing | 66 | 8.1% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 28 | 3.5% |
| Equipment | 23 | 2.8% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 20 | 2.5% |
| Privacy | 16 | 2.0% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 9 | 1.1% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 4 | 0.5% |
| Junk Faxes | 4 | 0.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 0.1% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 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. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Interference (including signal jammers) and Equipment.
TV complaints
109 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 45 | 41.3% |
| Availability | 18 | 16.5% |
| Indecency | 17 | 15.6% |
| Loud Commercials | 14 | 12.8% |
| Equipment | 9 | 8.3% |
| Privacy | 3 | 2.8% |
| Interference | 2 | 1.8% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 0.9% |
Billing accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Internet complaints
87 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 33 | 37.9% |
| Availability | 19 | 21.8% |
| Speed | 12 | 13.8% |
| Privacy | 8 | 9.2% |
| Equipment | 6 | 6.9% |
| Interference | 5 | 5.7% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 4 | 4.6% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
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.