FCC Consumer Complaints – 16 August 2019
Introduction
On Friday, 16 August 2019, 1069 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was lower than the 1080 complaints recorded the previous day. 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 731 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1069
- States & territories reporting
- 49
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (731)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (96)
Where the complaints came from
The 1069 complaints recorded on 16 August 2019 were submitted from 709 cities across 49 states and territories. Complaint activity was widely distributed across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a notable share of reports. 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 | 96 | 9.0% |
| Texas | 84 | 7.9% |
| Florida | 81 | 7.6% |
| New York | 50 | 4.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 45 | 4.2% |
| Ohio | 44 | 4.1% |
| Tennessee | 41 | 3.8% |
| Georgia | 40 | 3.7% |
| Illinois | 37 | 3.5% |
| Massachusetts | 31 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 516 | 48.3% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 7 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 860 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 860 | 80.4% |
| Internet | 97 | 9.1% |
| TV | 93 | 8.7% |
| Radio | 14 | 1.3% |
| Emergency | 3 | 0.3% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
860 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 80.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 731 | 85.0% |
| Billing | 42 | 4.9% |
| Equipment | 28 | 3.3% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 24 | 2.8% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 14 | 1.6% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 6 | 0.7% |
| Junk Faxes | 6 | 0.7% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 4 | 0.5% |
| Privacy | 4 | 0.5% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 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 Availability (including rural call completion) among the most common.
Internet complaints
97 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 41 | 42.3% |
| Availability | 32 | 33.0% |
| Speed | 12 | 12.4% |
| Equipment | 5 | 5.2% |
| Privacy | 5 | 5.2% |
| Interference | 2 | 2.1% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
93 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 35 | 37.6% |
| Billing | 35 | 37.6% |
| Equipment | 9 | 9.7% |
| Loud Commercials | 9 | 9.7% |
| Indecency | 4 | 4.3% |
| Interference | 1 | 1.1% |
Availability and Billing 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.