FCC Consumer Complaints – 29 March 2019
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 1223 consumer complaints on 29 March 2019 relating to telecommunications services, this was lower than the 1326 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 51 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 955 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1223
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (955)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (162)
Where the complaints came from
Across 793 cities in 51 states and territories, a total of 1223 complaints were recorded on 29 March 2019. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location 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 distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 162 | 13.2% |
| Florida | 95 | 7.8% |
| Texas | 87 | 7.1% |
| New York | 63 | 5.2% |
| Colorado | 55 | 4.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 54 | 4.4% |
| New Jersey | 41 | 3.4% |
| Ohio | 40 | 3.3% |
| Illinois | 39 | 3.2% |
| Wisconsin | 38 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 547 | 44.7% |
Location highlight
California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 98 different cities.
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 5 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 1064 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 1064 | 87.0% |
| TV | 76 | 6.2% |
| Internet | 75 | 6.1% |
| Radio | 7 | 0.6% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
1064 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 87.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 955 | 89.8% |
| Billing | 42 | 3.9% |
| Equipment | 26 | 2.4% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 15 | 1.4% |
| Junk Faxes | 7 | 0.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 7 | 0.7% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 6 | 0.6% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 3 | 0.3% |
| Privacy | 3 | 0.3% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion) among the most common.
TV complaints
76 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 34 | 44.7% |
| Availability | 17 | 22.4% |
| Indecency | 9 | 11.8% |
| Loud Commercials | 7 | 9.2% |
| Interference | 5 | 6.6% |
| Equipment | 3 | 3.9% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.3% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Internet complaints
75 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 32 | 42.7% |
| Availability | 27 | 36.0% |
| Privacy | 6 | 8.0% |
| Speed | 6 | 8.0% |
| Interference | 3 | 4.0% |
| Equipment | 1 | 1.3% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less 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.