FCC Consumer Complaints – 6 February 2019

Introduction

A total of 1117 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on 6 February 2019, this was lower than the 1326 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 52 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 757 complaints recorded.

Key statistics

Total complaints
1117
States & territories reporting
52
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (757)
Most reported state/territory
California (121)

Where the complaints came from

A total of 1117 complaints were recorded on 6 February 2019, with reports originating from 739 cities in 52 states and territories. The distribution of complaints was relatively even, with no single state or territory contributing a dominant share. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.

The table below summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory on this date, ordered by total reports.

State/Territory Complaints
California 121 10.8%
Florida 82 7.3%
Texas 73 6.5%
New York 56 5.0%
Illinois 50 4.5%
Maryland 43 3.8%
Pennsylvania 43 3.8%
Virginia 41 3.7%
Ohio 40 3.6%
Georgia 35 3.1%
Other states and territories 519 46.5%

What the complaints were about

Complaints recorded on this date related to 5 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 920 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 920 82.4%
TV 106 9.5%
Internet 82 7.3%
Radio 6 0.5%
Emergency 3 0.3%

Phone complaints

920 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 82.4% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 757 82.3%
Billing 59 6.4%
Availability (including rural call completion) 29 3.2%
Equipment 26 2.8%
Privacy 13 1.4%
Junk Faxes 12 1.3%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 10 1.1%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 9 1.0%
Interference (including signal jammers) 5 0.5%

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, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.

TV complaints

106 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.5% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 56 52.8%
Availability 16 15.1%
Indecency 14 13.2%
Loud Commercials 9 8.5%
Equipment 7 6.6%
Interference 2 1.9%
Privacy 2 1.9%

Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.

Internet complaints

82 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.3% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 26 31.7%
Availability 24 29.3%
Speed 16 19.5%
Interference 9 11.0%
Privacy 4 4.9%
Equipment 3 3.7%

Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.

Page last updated: 7 February 2019 with FCC complaints data from 6 February 2019.

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.