FCC Consumer Complaints – 5 December 2018
Introduction
A total of 1181 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday, 5 December 2018, complaint volume fell from 1269 complaints the day before. Reports were received from 50 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 896 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1181
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (896)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (153)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 1181 complaints were recorded on 5 December 2018, with reports originating from 763 cities in 50 states and territories. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.
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 | 153 | 13.0% |
| Florida | 92 | 7.8% |
| Texas | 88 | 7.5% |
| New York | 54 | 4.6% |
| Pennsylvania | 51 | 4.3% |
| Ohio | 42 | 3.6% |
| Georgia | 40 | 3.4% |
| Illinois | 39 | 3.3% |
| Washington | 39 | 3.3% |
| Arizona | 37 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 546 | 46.2% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 5 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 1031 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 1031 | 87.3% |
| Internet | 74 | 6.3% |
| TV | 62 | 5.2% |
| Radio | 12 | 1.0% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
1031 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 87.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 896 | 86.9% |
| Billing | 55 | 5.3% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 20 | 1.9% |
| Equipment | 19 | 1.8% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 12 | 1.2% |
| Privacy | 10 | 1.0% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 9 | 0.9% |
| Junk Faxes | 8 | 0.8% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 2 | 0.2% |
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. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
Internet complaints
74 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 31 | 41.9% |
| Availability | 21 | 28.4% |
| Speed | 12 | 16.2% |
| Privacy | 5 | 6.8% |
| Interference | 3 | 4.1% |
| Equipment | 2 | 2.7% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
62 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 5.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 27 | 43.5% |
| Availability | 17 | 27.4% |
| Loud Commercials | 6 | 9.7% |
| Interference | 5 | 8.1% |
| Equipment | 4 | 6.5% |
| Indecency | 3 | 4.8% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
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.