FCC Consumer Complaints – 2 January 2019
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 929 consumer complaints on Wednesday, 2 January 2019 relating to telecommunications services, this represented an increase from the 227 complaints recorded the previous day. The complaints came from 50 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 457 complaints.
This date falls within a government shutdown period from 22 December 2018 to 25 January 2019. Complaint volumes during this period may be lower than usual.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 929
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (457)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (95)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 2 January 2019 show 929 complaints originating from 649 cities across 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 distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 95 | 10.2% |
| Texas | 79 | 8.5% |
| Florida | 61 | 6.6% |
| New York | 51 | 5.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 45 | 4.8% |
| Illinois | 41 | 4.4% |
| Ohio | 39 | 4.2% |
| Maryland | 33 | 3.6% |
| New Jersey | 29 | 3.1% |
| Virginia | 29 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 425 | 45.7% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 7 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 670 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 670 | 72.1% |
| TV | 131 | 14.1% |
| Internet | 103 | 11.1% |
| Radio | 18 | 1.9% |
| Accessibility | 3 | 0.3% |
| Emergency | 3 | 0.3% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
670 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 72.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 457 | 68.2% |
| Billing | 92 | 13.7% |
| Equipment | 39 | 5.8% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 29 | 4.3% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 16 | 2.4% |
| Privacy | 14 | 2.1% |
| Junk Faxes | 9 | 1.3% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 8 | 1.2% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 5 | 0.7% |
| Rural Call Completion | 1 | 0.1% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).
TV complaints
131 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 14.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 55 | 42.0% |
| Availability | 32 | 24.4% |
| Indecency | 14 | 10.7% |
| Equipment | 10 | 7.6% |
| Loud Commercials | 9 | 6.9% |
| Interference | 7 | 5.3% |
| Privacy | 4 | 3.1% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Internet complaints
103 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 36 | 35.0% |
| Availability | 30 | 29.1% |
| Speed | 16 | 15.5% |
| Equipment | 11 | 10.7% |
| Interference | 5 | 4.9% |
| Privacy | 5 | 4.9% |
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.