FCC Consumer Complaints – February 2019
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 25368 consumer complaints in February 2019 relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume increased from 7945 complaints the previous month. The complaints came from 54 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 16976 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 25368
- Days with complaint data
- 28
- Days with complaints
- 28
- States & territories reporting
- 54
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (16976)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (2751)
Daily complaint activity
Daily complaint activity averaged 906 complaints per day during the month. The busiest day was 5 February 2019, when 1326 complaints were recorded, and 19 days were above the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 24 February 2019, with 225 complaints, noticeably below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
The 25368 complaints recorded in February 2019 originated from 5670 cities across 54 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 122 of the 129 complaints recorded in the state.
The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this month, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 2751 | 10.8% |
| Florida | 1956 | 7.7% |
| Texas | 1777 | 7.0% |
| New York | 1424 | 5.6% |
| Pennsylvania | 1084 | 4.3% |
| Illinois | 956 | 3.8% |
| New Jersey | 945 | 3.7% |
| Ohio | 914 | 3.6% |
| North Carolina | 848 | 3.3% |
| Virginia | 772 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 11778 | 46.4% |
Location highlights
- Nearly all complaints reported in District of Columbia originated from Washington.
- California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 573 different cities.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the month were spread across 7 complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 20610 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 20610 | 81.2% |
| TV | 2331 | 9.2% |
| Internet | 2062 | 8.1% |
| Radio | 266 | 1.0% |
| Emergency | 61 | 0.2% |
| Accessibility | 22 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 16 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
20610 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 81.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 16976 | 82.4% |
| Billing | 1436 | 7.0% |
| Equipment | 577 | 2.8% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 457 | 2.2% |
| Junk Faxes | 280 | 1.4% |
| Privacy | 280 | 1.4% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 278 | 1.3% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 149 | 0.7% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 147 | 0.7% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 23 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 7 | 0.0% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).
TV complaints
2331 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 9.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1138 | 48.8% |
| Availability | 351 | 15.1% |
| Indecency | 310 | 13.3% |
| Equipment | 211 | 9.1% |
| Loud Commercials | 195 | 8.4% |
| Interference | 95 | 4.1% |
| Privacy | 31 | 1.3% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Internet complaints
2062 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 8.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 751 | 36.4% |
| Availability | 422 | 20.5% |
| Speed | 374 | 18.1% |
| Interference | 184 | 8.9% |
| Privacy | 177 | 8.6% |
| Equipment | 154 | 7.5% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
Radio complaints
266 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 90 | 33.8% |
| Indecency | 70 | 26.3% |
| Pirate Radio | 41 | 15.4% |
| Availability | 21 | 7.9% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 18 | 6.8% |
| Equipment | 18 | 6.8% |
| Billing | 8 | 3.0% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Interference and Indecency, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Emergency complaints
61 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 28 | 45.9% |
| Other | 15 | 24.6% |
| Tower | 12 | 19.7% |
| Phone | 6 | 9.8% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Interference and Other, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Unwanted calls
A total of 16976 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 66.9% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact numbers are shown below where sufficient data is available.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (800) 847-2911 | 38 | 0.2% |
| (800) 945-2000 | 20 | 0.1% |
| (800) 692-7753 | 17 | 0.1% |
| (844) 892-5742 | 17 | 0.1% |
| (850) 855-4259 | 16 | 0.1% |
| (408) 606-5775 | 15 | 0.1% |
| (800) 275-2273 | 13 | 0.1% |
| (678) 261-7085 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (786) 204-1908 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (800) 288-2020 | 12 | 0.1% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (555) 555-5555 | 37 | 0.2% |
| (800) 847-2911 | 29 | 0.2% |
| (850) 855-4259 | 22 | 0.1% |
| (844) 892-5742 | 17 | 0.1% |
| (850) 550-9974 | 17 | 0.1% |
| (800) 692-7753 | 15 | 0.1% |
| (844) 386-8965 | 13 | 0.1% |
| (859) 300-0041 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (888) 402-9182 | 11 | 0.1% |
| (732) 230-4570 | 10 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice accounted for the largest share of unwanted call complaints by call type.
- (555) 555-5555 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- (800) 847-2911 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.