FCC Consumer Complaints – 20 March 2019
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 1433 consumer complaints on 20 March 2019 relating to telecommunications services, this was higher than the 1386 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 52 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 921 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1433
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (921)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (180)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 20 March 2019 show 1433 complaints originating from 913 cities across 52 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 | 180 | 12.6% |
| Illinois | 122 | 8.5% |
| Florida | 111 | 7.7% |
| New York | 80 | 5.6% |
| Texas | 73 | 5.1% |
| Ohio | 65 | 4.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 65 | 4.5% |
| Virginia | 49 | 3.4% |
| Michigan | 46 | 3.2% |
| Arizona | 44 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 589 | 41.1% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 5 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 1103 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 1103 | 77.0% |
| TV | 242 | 16.9% |
| Internet | 73 | 5.1% |
| Radio | 14 | 1.0% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
1103 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 77.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 921 | 83.5% |
| Billing | 73 | 6.6% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 26 | 2.4% |
| Equipment | 25 | 2.3% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 14 | 1.3% |
| Junk Faxes | 13 | 1.2% |
| Privacy | 12 | 1.1% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 9 | 0.8% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 6 | 0.5% |
| Rural Call Completion | 4 | 0.4% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment among the most common.
TV complaints
242 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 16.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 96 | 39.7% |
| Indecency | 67 | 27.7% |
| Billing | 50 | 20.7% |
| Interference | 10 | 4.1% |
| Loud Commercials | 9 | 3.7% |
| Equipment | 7 | 2.9% |
| Privacy | 3 | 1.2% |
Availability and Indecency were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Internet complaints
73 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 5.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 22 | 30.1% |
| Availability | 15 | 20.5% |
| Speed | 14 | 19.2% |
| Interference | 11 | 15.1% |
| Privacy | 7 | 9.6% |
| Equipment | 4 | 5.5% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability and Speed among the most common.
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.