FCC Consumer Complaints – 20 November 2019
Introduction
On Wednesday, 20 November 2019, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1022 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 1029 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 50 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 642 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1022
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (642)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (130)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 20 November 2019 show 1022 complaints originating from 711 cities across 50 states and territories. The distribution of complaints was relatively even, with no single state or territory contributing a dominant 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 | 130 | 12.7% |
| Florida | 68 | 6.7% |
| Texas | 65 | 6.4% |
| New York | 49 | 4.8% |
| Ohio | 46 | 4.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 43 | 4.2% |
| Michigan | 35 | 3.4% |
| New Jersey | 35 | 3.4% |
| Maryland | 34 | 3.3% |
| Arizona | 32 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 484 | 47.4% |
Location highlight
Complaints in California were reported across 87 cities, the widest spread observed on this date.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 6 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 812 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 812 | 79.5% |
| Internet | 104 | 10.2% |
| TV | 80 | 7.8% |
| Radio | 19 | 1.9% |
| Emergency | 5 | 0.5% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
812 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 79.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 642 | 79.1% |
| Billing | 65 | 8.0% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 24 | 3.0% |
| Equipment | 22 | 2.7% |
| Junk Faxes | 18 | 2.2% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 15 | 1.8% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 10 | 1.2% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 8 | 1.0% |
| Privacy | 8 | 1.0% |
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. A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment among the most common.
Internet complaints
104 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 50 | 48.1% |
| Availability | 36 | 34.6% |
| Speed | 9 | 8.7% |
| Privacy | 4 | 3.8% |
| Equipment | 3 | 2.9% |
| Interference | 2 | 1.9% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
80 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 53 | 66.3% |
| Availability | 13 | 16.3% |
| Equipment | 5 | 6.3% |
| Loud Commercials | 3 | 3.8% |
| Privacy | 3 | 3.8% |
| Indecency | 2 | 2.5% |
| Interference | 1 | 1.3% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
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.