FCC Consumer Complaints – 9 December 2019
Introduction
On 9 December 2019, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 837 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume increased from 274 complaints the day before. The complaints came from 51 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 500 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 837
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (500)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (90)
Where the complaints came from
On 9 December 2019, the 837 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 609 cities across 51 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location 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 | 90 | 10.8% |
| Texas | 62 | 7.4% |
| New York | 48 | 5.7% |
| Florida | 47 | 5.6% |
| Pennsylvania | 43 | 5.1% |
| North Carolina | 35 | 4.2% |
| Maryland | 33 | 3.9% |
| Michigan | 33 | 3.9% |
| Ohio | 32 | 3.8% |
| Illinois | 29 | 3.5% |
| Other states and territories | 384 | 45.9% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 7 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 656 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 656 | 78.4% |
| Internet | 89 | 10.6% |
| TV | 79 | 9.4% |
| Radio | 8 | 1.0% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 2 | 0.2% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
656 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 78.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 500 | 76.2% |
| Billing | 61 | 9.3% |
| Equipment | 24 | 3.7% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 22 | 3.4% |
| Junk Faxes | 16 | 2.4% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 11 | 1.7% |
| Privacy | 10 | 1.5% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 7 | 1.1% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 4 | 0.6% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.2% |
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. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).
Internet complaints
89 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 38 | 42.7% |
| Billing | 32 | 36.0% |
| Speed | 11 | 12.4% |
| Equipment | 3 | 3.4% |
| Privacy | 3 | 3.4% |
| Interference | 2 | 2.2% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
79 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 44 | 55.7% |
| Availability | 16 | 20.3% |
| Loud Commercials | 12 | 15.2% |
| Interference | 5 | 6.3% |
| Equipment | 1 | 1.3% |
| Indecency | 1 | 1.3% |
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.