FCC Consumer Complaints – 5 October 2019
Introduction
On 5 October 2019, 366 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, complaint volume fell from 981 complaints the previous day. The complaints came from 43 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Complaints relating to Unwanted Calls were marginally higher than for other issue types.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 366
- States & territories reporting
- 43
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (148)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (47)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 5 October 2019 show 366 complaints originating from 295 cities across 43 states and territories. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. At the city level, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share of the total.
The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this date, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 47 | 12.8% |
| Florida | 38 | 10.4% |
| Texas | 29 | 7.9% |
| New York | 20 | 5.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 17 | 4.6% |
| Michigan | 16 | 4.4% |
| Illinois | 14 | 3.8% |
| North Carolina | 12 | 3.3% |
| New Jersey | 12 | 3.3% |
| Idaho | 11 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 150 | 41.0% |
What the complaints were about
A total of 5 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 221 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 221 | 60.4% |
| TV | 84 | 23.0% |
| Internet | 50 | 13.7% |
| Radio | 10 | 2.7% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.3% |
Phone complaints
221 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 60.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 148 | 67.0% |
| Billing | 24 | 10.9% |
| Equipment | 20 | 9.0% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 14 | 6.3% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 6 | 2.7% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 4 | 1.8% |
| Junk Faxes | 2 | 0.9% |
| Privacy | 2 | 0.9% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 1 | 0.5% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).
TV complaints
84 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 23.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 40 | 47.6% |
| Billing | 29 | 34.5% |
| Loud Commercials | 9 | 10.7% |
| Equipment | 5 | 6.0% |
| Interference | 1 | 1.2% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Internet complaints
50 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 13.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 23 | 46.0% |
| Availability | 14 | 28.0% |
| Speed | 6 | 12.0% |
| Equipment | 4 | 8.0% |
| Interference | 3 | 6.0% |
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.