FCC Consumer Complaints – 1 October 2019
Introduction
On Tuesday, 1 October 2019, 1111 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was lower than the 1146 complaints recorded the previous day. Complaints were reported across 52 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 654 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1111
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (654)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (108)
Where the complaints came from
The 1111 complaints recorded on 1 October 2019 were submitted from 760 cities across 52 states and territories. Complaints were spread broadly across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a significant share. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in Rhode Island, where Providence accounted for 24 of the 33 complaints recorded in the state.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 108 | 9.7% |
| Texas | 89 | 8.0% |
| Florida | 83 | 7.5% |
| New York | 53 | 4.8% |
| Ohio | 47 | 4.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 41 | 3.7% |
| Illinois | 38 | 3.4% |
| Georgia | 36 | 3.2% |
| North Carolina | 35 | 3.2% |
| Virginia | 35 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 543 | 48.9% |
Location highlight
Providence accounted for the majority of complaints recorded in Rhode Island.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 6 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 814 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 814 | 73.3% |
| TV | 137 | 12.3% |
| Internet | 134 | 12.1% |
| Radio | 22 | 2.0% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
814 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 73.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 654 | 80.3% |
| Billing | 61 | 7.5% |
| Equipment | 31 | 3.8% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 30 | 3.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 11 | 1.4% |
| Junk Faxes | 8 | 1.0% |
| Privacy | 8 | 1.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 6 | 0.7% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 5 | 0.6% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).
TV complaints
137 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 66 | 48.2% |
| Availability | 36 | 26.3% |
| Indecency | 14 | 10.2% |
| Equipment | 10 | 7.3% |
| Loud Commercials | 7 | 5.1% |
| Interference | 2 | 1.5% |
| Privacy | 2 | 1.5% |
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 12.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 48 | 35.8% |
| Availability | 29 | 21.6% |
| Privacy | 27 | 20.1% |
| Speed | 14 | 10.4% |
| Equipment | 8 | 6.0% |
| Interference | 8 | 6.0% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability and Privacy.
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.