FCC Consumer Complaints – January 2020
Introduction
In January 2020, 22957 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented an increase from the 18879 complaints recorded the month before. Complaints were reported across 55 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 13921 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 22957
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 55
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (13921)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (2455)
Daily complaint activity
Daily complaint activity averaged 740.5 complaints per day during the month. The busiest day was 23 January 2020, when 1113 complaints were recorded, and 19 days were above the monthly daily average. The lowest daily total was 209 complaints on 1 January 2020, well below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
The 22957 complaints recorded in January 2020 were submitted from 5502 cities across 55 states and territories. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 107 of the 113 complaints recorded in the state.
The monthly distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 2455 | 10.7% |
| Texas | 1933 | 8.4% |
| Florida | 1689 | 7.4% |
| New York | 1248 | 5.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 1051 | 4.6% |
| Ohio | 983 | 4.3% |
| North Carolina | 786 | 3.4% |
| Illinois | 775 | 3.4% |
| Virginia | 725 | 3.2% |
| Michigan | 712 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 10542 | 45.9% |
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. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 17418 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 17418 | 75.9% |
| TV | 2544 | 11.1% |
| Internet | 2542 | 11.1% |
| Radio | 343 | 1.5% |
| Accessibility | 53 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 45 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 12 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
17418 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 75.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 13921 | 79.9% |
| Billing | 1415 | 8.1% |
| Equipment | 626 | 3.6% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 474 | 2.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 308 | 1.8% |
| Junk Faxes | 207 | 1.2% |
| Privacy | 200 | 1.1% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 140 | 0.8% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 106 | 0.6% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 17 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 4 | 0.0% |
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).
TV complaints
2544 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 11.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1245 | 48.9% |
| Availability | 753 | 29.6% |
| Loud Commercials | 192 | 7.5% |
| Indecency | 165 | 6.5% |
| Equipment | 135 | 5.3% |
| Interference | 36 | 1.4% |
| Privacy | 18 | 0.7% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Internet complaints
2542 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 11.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1018 | 40.0% |
| Availability | 853 | 33.6% |
| Speed | 266 | 10.5% |
| Equipment | 143 | 5.6% |
| Interference | 141 | 5.5% |
| Privacy | 121 | 4.8% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Radio complaints
343 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 123 | 35.9% |
| Interference | 77 | 22.4% |
| Indecency | 55 | 16.0% |
| Pirate Radio | 48 | 14.0% |
| Billing | 22 | 6.4% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 11 | 3.2% |
| Equipment | 7 | 2.0% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Availability, Interference and Indecency.
Accessibility complaints
53 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning on TV | 23 | 43.4% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 11 | 20.8% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 11 | 20.8% |
| Video Description | 3 | 5.7% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 2 | 3.8% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 2 | 3.8% |
Closed Captioning on TV and Closed Captioning over the Internet accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Emergency complaints
45 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 22 | 48.9% |
| Other | 16 | 35.6% |
| Tower | 4 | 8.9% |
| Phone | 3 | 6.7% |
Interference and Other accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
A total of 13921 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 60.6% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact numbers are shown below where sufficient data is available.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (719) 452-8970 | 52 | 0.4% |
| (800) 275-2273 | 29 | 0.2% |
| (609) 606-9030 | 19 | 0.1% |
| (816) 448-9200 | 19 | 0.1% |
| (424) 204-4290 | 18 | 0.1% |
| (800) 692-7753 | 16 | 0.1% |
| (800) 642-3780 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (866) 611-1148 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (314) 710-3896 | 11 | 0.1% |
| (800) 285-8585 | 11 | 0.1% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (208) 262-0000 | 78 | 0.6% |
| (719) 452-8970 | 52 | 0.4% |
| (800) 275-2273 | 19 | 0.1% |
| (800) 692-7753 | 17 | 0.1% |
| (718) 307-1139 | 16 | 0.1% |
| (816) 448-9200 | 16 | 0.1% |
| (609) 606-9030 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 13 | 0.1% |
| (800) 285-8585 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (352) 251-0285 | 11 | 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.
- (719) 452-8970 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.