FCC Consumer Complaints – 1 July 2019
Introduction
On 1 July 2019, 1015 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented an increase from the 234 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 49 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 647 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1015
- States & territories reporting
- 49
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (647)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (128)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 1015 complaints were recorded on 1 July 2019, with reports originating from 697 cities in 49 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 128 | 12.6% |
| Texas | 77 | 7.6% |
| Florida | 57 | 5.6% |
| New York | 57 | 5.6% |
| Illinois | 46 | 4.5% |
| Massachusetts | 42 | 4.1% |
| Colorado | 39 | 3.8% |
| Georgia | 39 | 3.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 36 | 3.5% |
| Ohio | 34 | 3.3% |
| Other states and territories | 456 | 44.9% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 5 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 809 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 809 | 79.7% |
| Internet | 100 | 9.9% |
| TV | 88 | 8.7% |
| Radio | 16 | 1.6% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
809 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 79.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 647 | 80.0% |
| Billing | 67 | 8.3% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 31 | 3.8% |
| Equipment | 25 | 3.1% |
| Junk Faxes | 11 | 1.4% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 10 | 1.2% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 8 | 1.0% |
| Privacy | 7 | 0.9% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 3 | 0.4% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
Internet complaints
100 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 38 | 38.0% |
| Availability | 37 | 37.0% |
| Speed | 9 | 9.0% |
| Privacy | 8 | 8.0% |
| Equipment | 5 | 5.0% |
| Interference | 3 | 3.0% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
88 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 49 | 55.7% |
| Availability | 19 | 21.6% |
| Equipment | 10 | 11.4% |
| Indecency | 4 | 4.5% |
| Loud Commercials | 4 | 4.5% |
| Interference | 1 | 1.1% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.1% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
647 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 63.7% of all complaints. Reports referenced both caller ID numbers and business contact numbers, with number tables shown where meaningful patterns are present.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (408) 960-0110 | 7 | 1.1% |
| (336) 584-0835 | 3 | 0.5% |
| (646) 481-5953 | 3 | 0.5% |
| (844) 285-7474 | 3 | 0.5% |
| (617) 307-3071 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (617) 519-2883 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (617) 586-0527 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (617) 588-5973 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (646) 481-6236 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (719) 356-1384 | 2 | 0.3% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- Reports were spread across many different business contact numbers, with no single number dominating.
- (408) 960-0110 stood out as the most frequently reported caller ID number.
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.