FCC Consumer Complaints – 4 April 2018

Introduction

The Federal Communications Commission recorded 1325 consumer complaints on Wednesday, 4 April 2018 relating to telecommunications services, this was lower than the 1412 complaints recorded the previous day. The complaints came from 52 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 917 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
1325
States & territories reporting
52
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (917)
Most reported state/territory
California (170)

Where the complaints came from

A total of 1325 complaints were recorded on 4 April 2018, with reports originating from 882 cities in 52 states and territories. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.

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 170 12.8%
Texas 99 7.5%
Florida 84 6.3%
New York 75 5.7%
Pennsylvania 72 5.4%
North Carolina 62 4.7%
Georgia 48 3.6%
Ohio 47 3.5%
Virginia 47 3.5%
Illinois 46 3.5%
Other states and territories 572 43.2%

What the complaints were about

The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 7 complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 1075 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 1075 81.1%
TV 115 8.7%
Internet 108 8.2%
Radio 18 1.4%
Accessibility 5 0.4%
Emergency 3 0.2%
Request for Dispute Assistance 1 0.1%

Phone complaints

1075 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 81.1% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 917 85.3%
Billing 66 6.1%
Availability (including rural call completion) 21 2.0%
Equipment 17 1.6%
Privacy 16 1.5%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 13 1.2%
Interference (including signal jammers) 8 0.7%
Junk Faxes 8 0.7%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 6 0.6%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 1 0.1%
Rural Call Completion 1 0.1%
Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) 1 0.1%

As is typical for this category, unwanted calls accounted for the largest share of complaints. A more detailed analysis of these reports is provided in the section 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

115 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.7% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 55 47.8%
Availability 25 21.7%
Equipment 13 11.3%
Indecency 6 5.2%
Interference 6 5.2%
Loud Commercials 5 4.3%
Privacy 3 2.6%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 2 1.7%

Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.

Internet complaints

108 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.2% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 36 33.3%
Availability 23 21.3%
Speed 23 21.3%
Privacy 10 9.3%
Interference 9 8.3%
Equipment 5 4.6%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 2 1.9%

A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability and Speed among the most common.

Page last updated: 10 December 2018 with FCC complaints data from 4 April 2018.

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.