FCC Consumer Complaints – 31 December 2019
Introduction
A total of 530 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday, 31 December 2019, this represented a decline from the 615 complaints recorded the day before. Complaints were reported across 47 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Unwanted Calls was reported slightly more frequently than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 530
- States & territories reporting
- 47
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (200)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (56)
Where the complaints came from
On 31 December 2019, the 530 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 401 cities across 47 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large 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 | 56 | 10.6% |
| Florida | 45 | 8.5% |
| Texas | 43 | 8.1% |
| New York | 34 | 6.4% |
| North Carolina | 30 | 5.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 25 | 4.7% |
| New Jersey | 21 | 4.0% |
| Illinois | 18 | 3.4% |
| Arizona | 16 | 3.0% |
| Georgia | 16 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 224 | 42.3% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 5 complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 334 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 334 | 63.0% |
| Internet | 106 | 20.0% |
| TV | 82 | 15.5% |
| Radio | 7 | 1.3% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
334 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 63.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 200 | 59.9% |
| Billing | 61 | 18.3% |
| Equipment | 23 | 6.9% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 20 | 6.0% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 12 | 3.6% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 6 | 1.8% |
| Junk Faxes | 4 | 1.2% |
| Privacy | 4 | 1.2% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 3 | 0.9% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.3% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).
Internet complaints
106 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 20.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 40 | 37.7% |
| Billing | 37 | 34.9% |
| Speed | 17 | 16.0% |
| Interference | 5 | 4.7% |
| Privacy | 4 | 3.8% |
| Equipment | 3 | 2.8% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
82 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 49 | 59.8% |
| Availability | 24 | 29.3% |
| Loud Commercials | 4 | 4.9% |
| Equipment | 3 | 3.7% |
| Indecency | 2 | 2.4% |
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.