FCC Consumer Complaints – 13 December 2019
Introduction
On 13 December 2019, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 773 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this was lower than the 835 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 48 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 470 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 773
- States & territories reporting
- 48
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (470)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (100)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 13 December 2019 show 773 complaints originating from 546 cities across 48 states and territories. Activity was spread across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a substantial share of complaints. 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 | 100 | 12.9% |
| Florida | 58 | 7.5% |
| Texas | 49 | 6.3% |
| New York | 42 | 5.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 35 | 4.5% |
| North Carolina | 31 | 4.0% |
| Ohio | 30 | 3.9% |
| Colorado | 29 | 3.8% |
| Michigan | 25 | 3.2% |
| New Jersey | 22 | 2.8% |
| Other states and territories | 350 | 45.3% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 7 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 592 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 592 | 76.6% |
| Internet | 91 | 11.8% |
| TV | 71 | 9.2% |
| Radio | 11 | 1.4% |
| Accessibility | 4 | 0.5% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.3% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 2 | 0.3% |
Phone complaints
592 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 76.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 470 | 79.4% |
| Billing | 45 | 7.6% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 24 | 4.1% |
| Equipment | 20 | 3.4% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 17 | 2.9% |
| Privacy | 6 | 1.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 5 | 0.8% |
| Junk Faxes | 3 | 0.5% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 1 | 0.2% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.2% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
Internet complaints
91 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 34 | 37.4% |
| Availability | 22 | 24.2% |
| Privacy | 16 | 17.6% |
| Speed | 8 | 8.8% |
| Equipment | 6 | 6.6% |
| Interference | 4 | 4.4% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
71 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 38 | 53.5% |
| Availability | 18 | 25.4% |
| Loud Commercials | 6 | 8.5% |
| Equipment | 5 | 7.0% |
| Indecency | 4 | 5.6% |
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.