FCC Consumer Complaints – June 2018
Introduction
In June 2018, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 30780 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume fell from 31997 complaints the month before. Complaints were reported across 56 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 20931 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 30780
- Days with complaint data
- 30
- Days with complaints
- 30
- States & territories reporting
- 56
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (20931)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (3858)
Daily complaint activity
Across the month, the FCC recorded an average of 1026 complaints per day. The highest daily total was 1475 complaints on 28 June 2018, while 21 days recorded more complaints than the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 17 June 2018, with 218 complaints, noticeably below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
In June 2018, the 30780 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 6151 cities across 56 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. Despite the overall distribution, a notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 162 of the 173 complaints recorded in the state.
The monthly distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 3858 | 12.5% |
| Texas | 2450 | 8.0% |
| Florida | 2378 | 7.7% |
| New York | 1604 | 5.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 1248 | 4.1% |
| Ohio | 1113 | 3.6% |
| Georgia | 1018 | 3.3% |
| Illinois | 1005 | 3.3% |
| Virginia | 979 | 3.2% |
| North Carolina | 936 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 14124 | 45.9% |
Location highlight
Washington accounted for nearly all 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 25268 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 25268 | 82.1% |
| TV | 2618 | 8.5% |
| Internet | 2360 | 7.7% |
| Radio | 429 | 1.4% |
| Accessibility | 55 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 36 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 14 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
25268 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 82.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 20931 | 82.8% |
| Billing | 1628 | 6.4% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 739 | 2.9% |
| Equipment | 590 | 2.3% |
| Privacy | 473 | 1.9% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 270 | 1.1% |
| Junk Faxes | 260 | 1.0% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 187 | 0.7% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 158 | 0.6% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 24 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 6 | 0.0% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 0.0% |
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. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
TV complaints
2618 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 8.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1052 | 40.2% |
| Indecency | 564 | 21.5% |
| Availability | 494 | 18.9% |
| Equipment | 254 | 9.7% |
| Loud Commercials | 121 | 4.6% |
| Interference | 89 | 3.4% |
| Privacy | 42 | 1.6% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 0.1% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Indecency, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Internet complaints
2360 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 7.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 788 | 33.4% |
| Availability | 613 | 26.0% |
| Speed | 415 | 17.6% |
| Interference | 200 | 8.5% |
| Equipment | 177 | 7.5% |
| Privacy | 155 | 6.6% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 12 | 0.5% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
Radio complaints
429 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 182 | 42.4% |
| Indecency | 66 | 15.4% |
| Pirate Radio | 63 | 14.7% |
| Equipment | 61 | 14.2% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 25 | 5.8% |
| Availability | 22 | 5.1% |
| Billing | 10 | 2.3% |
Interference accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Accessibility complaints
55 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning on TV | 22 | 40.0% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 16 | 29.1% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 8 | 14.5% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 5 | 9.1% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 2 | 3.6% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Closed Captioning on TV and Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS), with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Emergency complaints
36 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 15 | 41.7% |
| Interference | 11 | 30.6% |
| Phone | 7 | 19.4% |
| Tower | 2 | 5.6% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Other and Interference, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Unwanted calls
20931 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 68% of all complaints. Reports referenced both caller ID numbers and business contact numbers, with number tables shown where meaningful patterns are present.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (281) 204-0500 | 79 | 0.4% |
| (800) 945-2000 | 40 | 0.2% |
| (331) 208-5719 | 30 | 0.1% |
| (423) 435-0278 | 28 | 0.1% |
| (541) 204-4295 | 28 | 0.1% |
| (513) 440-4479 | 24 | 0.1% |
| (443) 203-5415 | 23 | 0.1% |
| (954) 204-0610 | 23 | 0.1% |
| (800) 917-9837 | 21 | 0.1% |
| (317) 348-3070 | 20 | 0.1% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (555) 555-5555 | 68 | 0.3% |
| (281) 204-0500 | 48 | 0.2% |
| (800) 945-2000 | 26 | 0.1% |
| (833) 768-7089 | 25 | 0.1% |
| (623) 499-9004 | 24 | 0.1% |
| (800) 614-0397 | 24 | 0.1% |
| (833) 270-1357 | 22 | 0.1% |
| (423) 435-0278 | 21 | 0.1% |
| (800) 262-3829 | 21 | 0.1% |
| (800) 917-9837 | 21 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (555) 555-5555 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- (281) 204-0500 was reported slightly more often than other caller ID numbers.
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.