FCC Consumer Complaints – 26 November 2019

Introduction

The Federal Communications Commission recorded 1022 consumer complaints on 26 November 2019 relating to telecommunications services, this was higher than the 899 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 51 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 621 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
1022
States & territories reporting
51
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (621)
Most reported state/territory
California (121)

Where the complaints came from

Reports recorded on 26 November 2019 show 1022 complaints originating from 715 cities across 51 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. 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 121 11.8%
Texas 105 10.3%
Florida 66 6.5%
New York 55 5.4%
Illinois 49 4.8%
North Carolina 48 4.7%
Ohio 45 4.4%
Georgia 34 3.3%
Pennsylvania 29 2.8%
Washington 28 2.7%
Other states and territories 439 43.0%

Location highlight

California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 91 different cities.

What the complaints were about

The complaints recorded on this date fell into 7 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 812 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 812 79.5%
Internet 95 9.3%
TV 93 9.1%
Radio 16 1.6%
Request for Dispute Assistance 3 0.3%
Accessibility 2 0.2%
Emergency 1 0.1%

Phone complaints

812 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 79.5% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 621 76.5%
Billing 79 9.7%
Availability (including rural call completion) 28 3.4%
Equipment 23 2.8%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 18 2.2%
Junk Faxes 17 2.1%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 13 1.6%
Privacy 7 0.9%
Interference (including signal jammers) 6 0.7%

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, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.

Internet complaints

95 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.3% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 37 38.9%
Availability 28 29.5%
Speed 12 12.6%
Equipment 8 8.4%
Privacy 6 6.3%
Interference 4 4.2%

Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.

TV complaints

93 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.1% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 53 57.0%
Availability 25 26.9%
Loud Commercials 5 5.4%
Equipment 4 4.3%
Interference 4 4.3%
Indecency 2 2.2%

Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.

Page last updated: 27 November 2019 with FCC complaints data from 26 November 2019.

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.