FCC Consumer Complaints – 15 April 2019

Introduction

The Federal Communications Commission recorded 1016 consumer complaints on 15 April 2019 relating to telecommunications services, this was higher than the 242 complaints recorded the previous day. Reports were received from 54 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 684 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
1016
States & territories reporting
54
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (684)
Most reported state/territory
California (122)

Where the complaints came from

A total of 1016 complaints were recorded on 15 April 2019, with reports originating from 725 cities in 54 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.

The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this date, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.

State/Territory Complaints
California 122 12.0%
Florida 86 8.5%
Texas 78 7.7%
New York 62 6.1%
Ohio 50 4.9%
Pennsylvania 47 4.6%
New Jersey 42 4.1%
North Carolina 39 3.8%
Illinois 34 3.3%
Georgia 32 3.1%
Other states and territories 421 41.4%

Location highlight

California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 82 different cities.

What the complaints were about

The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 4 complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 816 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 816 80.3%
TV 94 9.3%
Internet 93 9.2%
Radio 13 1.3%

Phone complaints

816 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 80.3% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 684 83.8%
Billing 41 5.0%
Equipment 22 2.7%
Junk Faxes 18 2.2%
Availability (including rural call completion) 16 2.0%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 14 1.7%
Interference (including signal jammers) 10 1.2%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 7 0.9%
Privacy 3 0.4%
Rural Call Completion 1 0.1%

As is typical for this category, unwanted calls accounted for the largest share of complaints. A more detailed analysis of these reports is provided in the section below. A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Equipment and Junk Faxes among the most common.

TV complaints

94 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.3% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 42 44.7%
Availability 26 27.7%
Indecency 15 16.0%
Equipment 5 5.3%
Interference 3 3.2%
Loud Commercials 2 2.1%
Privacy 1 1.1%

Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.

Internet complaints

93 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.2% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 37 39.8%
Billing 31 33.3%
Speed 9 9.7%
Equipment 8 8.6%
Interference 7 7.5%
Privacy 1 1.1%

Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.

Page last updated: 16 April 2019 with FCC complaints data from 15 April 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.