FCC Consumer Complaints – 17 September 2019
Introduction
On 17 September 2019, 1194 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was higher than the 1104 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 753 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1194
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (753)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (144)
Where the complaints came from
On 17 September 2019, the 1194 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 788 cities across 51 states and territories. Activity was spread across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a substantial share of complaints. At the city level, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share of the total.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 144 | 12.1% |
| Texas | 89 | 7.5% |
| New York | 83 | 7.0% |
| Florida | 70 | 5.9% |
| Ohio | 54 | 4.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 48 | 4.0% |
| North Carolina | 41 | 3.4% |
| Illinois | 39 | 3.3% |
| Virginia | 38 | 3.2% |
| Colorado | 34 | 2.8% |
| Other states and territories | 553 | 46.3% |
Location highlight
California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 91 different cities.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 6 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 924 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 924 | 77.4% |
| TV | 120 | 10.1% |
| Internet | 119 | 10.0% |
| Radio | 20 | 1.7% |
| Accessibility | 6 | 0.5% |
| Emergency | 5 | 0.4% |
Phone complaints
924 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 77.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 753 | 81.5% |
| Billing | 73 | 7.9% |
| Equipment | 33 | 3.6% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 19 | 2.1% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 13 | 1.4% |
| Privacy | 12 | 1.3% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 8 | 0.9% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 7 | 0.8% |
| Junk Faxes | 6 | 0.6% |
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.
TV complaints
120 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 62 | 51.7% |
| Availability | 38 | 31.7% |
| Loud Commercials | 10 | 8.3% |
| Equipment | 6 | 5.0% |
| Indecency | 2 | 1.7% |
| Interference | 2 | 1.7% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Internet complaints
119 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 49 | 41.2% |
| Billing | 36 | 30.3% |
| Speed | 20 | 16.8% |
| Interference | 6 | 5.0% |
| Privacy | 5 | 4.2% |
| Equipment | 3 | 2.5% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
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.