FCC Consumer Complaints – 30 September 2019
Introduction
On Monday, 30 September 2019, 1146 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was higher than the 252 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 51 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 686 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1146
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (686)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (102)
Where the complaints came from
Across 763 cities in 51 states and territories, a total of 1146 complaints were recorded on 30 September 2019. Complaints were spread broadly across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a significant 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 | 102 | 8.9% |
| Florida | 99 | 8.6% |
| Texas | 79 | 6.9% |
| New York | 58 | 5.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 52 | 4.5% |
| New Jersey | 49 | 4.3% |
| Ohio | 46 | 4.0% |
| Illinois | 43 | 3.8% |
| Washington | 42 | 3.7% |
| North Carolina | 37 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 535 | 46.7% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 7 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 851 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 851 | 74.3% |
| TV | 142 | 12.4% |
| Internet | 134 | 11.7% |
| Radio | 14 | 1.2% |
| Accessibility | 3 | 0.3% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
851 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 74.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 686 | 80.6% |
| Billing | 69 | 8.1% |
| Equipment | 27 | 3.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 22 | 2.6% |
| Junk Faxes | 17 | 2.0% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 10 | 1.2% |
| Privacy | 9 | 1.1% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 7 | 0.8% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 4 | 0.5% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail 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
142 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 67 | 47.2% |
| Availability | 42 | 29.6% |
| Loud Commercials | 15 | 10.6% |
| Indecency | 9 | 6.3% |
| Equipment | 5 | 3.5% |
| Interference | 4 | 2.8% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Internet complaints
134 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 62 | 46.3% |
| Availability | 39 | 29.1% |
| Speed | 15 | 11.2% |
| Equipment | 14 | 10.4% |
| Privacy | 3 | 2.2% |
| Interference | 1 | 0.7% |
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.