FCC Consumer Complaints – 19 September 2019
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 1160 consumer complaints on 19 September 2019 relating to telecommunications services, this was lower than the 1209 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 51 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 770 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1160
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (770)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (151)
Where the complaints came from
On 19 September 2019, the 1160 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 763 cities across 51 states and territories. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large 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 distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 151 | 13.0% |
| Texas | 112 | 9.7% |
| Florida | 63 | 5.4% |
| New York | 56 | 4.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 43 | 3.7% |
| Maryland | 41 | 3.5% |
| Ohio | 39 | 3.4% |
| Illinois | 37 | 3.2% |
| North Carolina | 37 | 3.2% |
| Arizona | 36 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 542 | 46.7% |
Location highlight
Complaints in California were reported across 101 cities, the widest spread observed on this date.
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 6 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 944 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 944 | 81.4% |
| Internet | 120 | 10.3% |
| TV | 82 | 7.1% |
| Radio | 6 | 0.5% |
| Accessibility | 5 | 0.4% |
| Emergency | 3 | 0.3% |
Phone complaints
944 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 81.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 770 | 81.6% |
| Billing | 70 | 7.4% |
| Equipment | 28 | 3.0% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 23 | 2.4% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 15 | 1.6% |
| Junk Faxes | 14 | 1.5% |
| Privacy | 11 | 1.2% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 7 | 0.7% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 5 | 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. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).
Internet complaints
120 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 45 | 37.5% |
| Availability | 44 | 36.7% |
| Speed | 13 | 10.8% |
| Interference | 9 | 7.5% |
| Equipment | 5 | 4.2% |
| Privacy | 4 | 3.3% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
82 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 38 | 46.3% |
| Availability | 24 | 29.3% |
| Equipment | 8 | 9.8% |
| Loud Commercials | 6 | 7.3% |
| Indecency | 3 | 3.7% |
| Interference | 2 | 2.4% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.2% |
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.