FCC Consumer Complaints – 14 November 2019
Introduction
On Thursday, 14 November 2019, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1154 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented an increase from the 1118 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 772 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1154
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (772)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (118)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 1154 complaints were recorded on 14 November 2019, with reports originating from 762 cities in 51 states and territories. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. 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 | 118 | 10.2% |
| Texas | 111 | 9.6% |
| Florida | 94 | 8.1% |
| New York | 65 | 5.6% |
| Ohio | 53 | 4.6% |
| Washington | 49 | 4.2% |
| Michigan | 41 | 3.6% |
| Georgia | 39 | 3.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 38 | 3.3% |
| Arizona | 35 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 509 | 44.1% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 5 complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 930 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 930 | 80.6% |
| Internet | 121 | 10.5% |
| TV | 92 | 8.0% |
| Radio | 10 | 0.9% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
930 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 80.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 772 | 83.0% |
| Billing | 55 | 5.9% |
| Equipment | 38 | 4.1% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 27 | 2.9% |
| Junk Faxes | 14 | 1.5% |
| Privacy | 12 | 1.3% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 10 | 1.1% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 1 | 0.1% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 1 | 0.1% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion) among the most common.
Internet complaints
121 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 50 | 41.3% |
| Billing | 42 | 34.7% |
| Speed | 12 | 9.9% |
| Interference | 7 | 5.8% |
| Privacy | 6 | 5.0% |
| Equipment | 4 | 3.3% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
92 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 47 | 51.1% |
| Availability | 27 | 29.3% |
| Equipment | 6 | 6.5% |
| Interference | 6 | 6.5% |
| Loud Commercials | 3 | 3.3% |
| Privacy | 2 | 2.2% |
| Indecency | 1 | 1.1% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
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.