FCC Consumer Complaints – December 2019
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 18879 consumer complaints in December 2019 relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 23185 complaints recorded the previous month. Complaints were reported across 54 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 10238 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 18879
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 54
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (10238)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (2157)
Daily complaint activity
Daily complaint activity averaged 609 complaints per day during the month. The busiest day was 4 December 2019, when 1026 complaints were recorded, and 16 days were above the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 25 December 2019, with 110 complaints, noticeably below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
A total of 18879 complaints were recorded in December 2019, with reports originating from 5017 cities in 54 states and territories. The distribution of complaints was relatively even, with no single state or territory contributing a dominant share. Despite the overall distribution, a notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 111 of the 120 complaints recorded in the state.
The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this month, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 2157 | 11.4% |
| Texas | 1576 | 8.3% |
| Florida | 1422 | 7.5% |
| New York | 1103 | 5.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 826 | 4.4% |
| Ohio | 772 | 4.1% |
| Illinois | 682 | 3.6% |
| North Carolina | 658 | 3.5% |
| Michigan | 570 | 3.0% |
| New Jersey | 567 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 8496 | 45.0% |
Location highlight
Nearly all complaints reported in District of Columbia originated from Washington.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the month fell into 7 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 13705 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 13705 | 72.6% |
| Internet | 2491 | 13.2% |
| TV | 2264 | 12.0% |
| Radio | 302 | 1.6% |
| Emergency | 59 | 0.3% |
| Accessibility | 41 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 17 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
13705 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 72.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 10238 | 74.7% |
| Billing | 1360 | 9.9% |
| Equipment | 609 | 4.4% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 508 | 3.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 370 | 2.7% |
| Junk Faxes | 175 | 1.3% |
| Privacy | 172 | 1.3% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 166 | 1.2% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 94 | 0.7% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 10 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 3 | 0.0% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).
Internet complaints
2491 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 13.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 927 | 37.2% |
| Billing | 900 | 36.1% |
| Speed | 290 | 11.6% |
| Privacy | 142 | 5.7% |
| Equipment | 116 | 4.7% |
| Interference | 115 | 4.6% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
2264 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 12.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1074 | 47.4% |
| Availability | 722 | 31.9% |
| Loud Commercials | 190 | 8.4% |
| Indecency | 116 | 5.1% |
| Equipment | 101 | 4.5% |
| Interference | 41 | 1.8% |
| Privacy | 20 | 0.9% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Radio complaints
302 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 100 | 33.1% |
| Indecency | 65 | 21.5% |
| Interference | 50 | 16.6% |
| Pirate Radio | 36 | 11.9% |
| Billing | 24 | 7.9% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 14 | 4.6% |
| Equipment | 13 | 4.3% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Availability, Indecency and Interference.
Emergency complaints
59 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 27 | 45.8% |
| Other | 22 | 37.3% |
| Phone | 5 | 8.5% |
| Tower | 5 | 8.5% |
Interference and Other accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Accessibility complaints
41 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 14 | 34.1% |
| Closed Captioning on TV | 11 | 26.8% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 8 | 19.5% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 3 | 7.3% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 1 | 2.4% |
Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) and Closed Captioning on TV accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
There were 10238 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 54.2% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact number details are listed below where there is enough concentration to make the data meaningful.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (800) 275-2273 | 36 | 0.4% |
| (719) 452-8970 | 32 | 0.3% |
| (954) 429-5750 | 24 | 0.2% |
| (424) 204-4290 | 21 | 0.2% |
| (609) 606-9030 | 19 | 0.2% |
| (816) 207-0718 | 15 | 0.1% |
| (800) 950-5114 | 13 | 0.1% |
| (619) 798-9835 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (319) 400-7890 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (800) 692-7753 | 8 | 0.1% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (208) 262-0000 | 46 | 0.4% |
| (719) 452-8970 | 32 | 0.3% |
| (206) 415-2661 | 19 | 0.2% |
| (800) 275-2273 | 19 | 0.2% |
| (516) 344-1156 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (424) 204-4290 | 11 | 0.1% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 11 | 0.1% |
| (800) 900-1370 | 11 | 0.1% |
| (609) 606-9030 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (949) 447-5846 | 9 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (208) 262-0000 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- (800) 275-2273 was reported slightly more often than other caller ID numbers.
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.