FCC Consumer Complaints – 19 February 2018
Introduction
On 19 February 2018, 857 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented an increase from the 283 complaints recorded the day before. 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 576 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 857
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (576)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (109)
Where the complaints came from
The 857 complaints recorded on 19 February 2018 originated from 605 cities across 50 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. At the city level, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share of the total.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 109 | 12.7% |
| Florida | 87 | 10.2% |
| Texas | 70 | 8.2% |
| New York | 42 | 4.9% |
| Pennsylvania | 40 | 4.7% |
| Virginia | 30 | 3.5% |
| New Jersey | 28 | 3.3% |
| Colorado | 27 | 3.2% |
| Georgia | 27 | 3.2% |
| Illinois | 26 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 371 | 43.3% |
Location highlight
Complaints in California were reported across 71 cities, the widest spread observed on this date.
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 692 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 692 | 80.7% |
| TV | 83 | 9.7% |
| Internet | 73 | 8.5% |
| Radio | 8 | 0.9% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
692 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 80.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 576 | 83.2% |
| Billing | 47 | 6.8% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 22 | 3.2% |
| Equipment | 15 | 2.2% |
| Privacy | 12 | 1.7% |
| Junk Faxes | 6 | 0.9% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 6 | 0.9% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 4 | 0.6% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 3 | 0.4% |
| 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. A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment among the most common.
TV complaints
83 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 45 | 54.2% |
| Equipment | 10 | 12.0% |
| Indecency | 10 | 12.0% |
| Availability | 8 | 9.6% |
| Loud Commercials | 5 | 6.0% |
| Interference | 4 | 4.8% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 1.2% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Equipment, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Internet complaints
73 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 25 | 34.2% |
| Speed | 20 | 27.4% |
| Availability | 11 | 15.1% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 6 | 8.2% |
| Privacy | 6 | 8.2% |
| Interference | 3 | 4.1% |
| Equipment | 2 | 2.7% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Speed, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
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.