FCC Consumer Complaints – February 2018
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 27480 consumer complaints in February 2018 relating to telecommunications services, this was lower than the 28809 complaints recorded the previous month. Complaints were reported across 56 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 17763 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 27480
- Days with complaint data
- 28
- Days with complaints
- 28
- States & territories reporting
- 56
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (17763)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (3127)
Daily complaint activity
Across the month, the FCC recorded an average of 981.4 complaints per day. The highest daily total was 1436 complaints on 21 February 2018, while 18 days recorded more complaints than the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 4 February 2018, with 266 complaints, noticeably below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded in February 2018 show 27480 complaints originating from 5929 cities across 56 states and territories. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 116 of the 131 complaints recorded in the state.
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 | 3127 | 11.4% |
| Texas | 2172 | 7.9% |
| Florida | 2040 | 7.4% |
| New York | 1520 | 5.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 1202 | 4.4% |
| Ohio | 1073 | 3.9% |
| Illinois | 993 | 3.6% |
| New Jersey | 863 | 3.1% |
| Virginia | 844 | 3.1% |
| Michigan | 803 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 12781 | 46.5% |
Location highlight
Washington accounted for the majority of complaints recorded in District of Columbia.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the month fell into 7 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 21889 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 21889 | 79.7% |
| TV | 2826 | 10.3% |
| Internet | 2256 | 8.2% |
| Radio | 419 | 1.5% |
| Emergency | 56 | 0.2% |
| Accessibility | 20 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 14 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
21889 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 79.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 17763 | 81.2% |
| Billing | 1677 | 7.7% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 537 | 2.5% |
| Equipment | 514 | 2.3% |
| Privacy | 481 | 2.2% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 259 | 1.2% |
| Junk Faxes | 249 | 1.1% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 215 | 1.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 135 | 0.6% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 34 | 0.2% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 17 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 8 | 0.0% |
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 Equipment.
TV complaints
2826 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 10.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1254 | 44.4% |
| Loud Commercials | 459 | 16.2% |
| Availability | 440 | 15.6% |
| Indecency | 302 | 10.7% |
| Equipment | 209 | 7.4% |
| Interference | 107 | 3.8% |
| Privacy | 39 | 1.4% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 16 | 0.6% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Loud Commercials, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Internet complaints
2256 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 8.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 840 | 37.2% |
| Availability | 480 | 21.3% |
| Speed | 376 | 16.7% |
| Interference | 176 | 7.8% |
| Privacy | 158 | 7.0% |
| Equipment | 133 | 5.9% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 93 | 4.1% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
Radio complaints
419 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Indecency | 147 | 35.1% |
| Interference | 144 | 34.4% |
| Pirate Radio | 70 | 16.7% |
| Availability | 18 | 4.3% |
| Equipment | 17 | 4.1% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 12 | 2.9% |
| Billing | 11 | 2.6% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Indecency and Interference, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Emergency complaints
56 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 27 | 48.2% |
| Other | 14 | 25.0% |
| Phone | 8 | 14.3% |
| Tower | 7 | 12.5% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Interference and Other, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Unwanted calls
A total of 17763 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 64.6% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact numbers are shown below where sufficient data is available.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (319) 220-0006 | 27 | 0.2% |
| (504) 232-4222 | 27 | 0.2% |
| (307) 464-3934 | 20 | 0.1% |
| (425) 921-1560 | 18 | 0.1% |
| (804) 228-4282 | 18 | 0.1% |
| (425) 412-2539 | 16 | 0.1% |
| (800) 441-0377 | 16 | 0.1% |
| (833) 225-9739 | 16 | 0.1% |
| (866) 729-2722 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (315) 888-0290 | 13 | 0.1% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (555) 555-5555 | 82 | 0.5% |
| (747) 212-5913 | 28 | 0.2% |
| (307) 464-3934 | 27 | 0.2% |
| (504) 232-4222 | 18 | 0.1% |
| (855) 622-2658 | 17 | 0.1% |
| (833) 225-9739 | 16 | 0.1% |
| (855) 729-3814 | 16 | 0.1% |
| (801) 396-7842 | 15 | 0.1% |
| (833) 280-1095 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (866) 229-7544 | 14 | 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.
- Several caller ID numbers were reported multiple times, with no single number clearly ahead of the others.
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.