FCC Consumer Complaints – 1 January 2020
Introduction
On Wednesday, 1 January 2020, 209 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented a decline from the 530 complaints recorded the previous day. The complaints came from 35 states and territories, with Pennsylvania reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 77 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 209
- States & territories reporting
- 35
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (77)
- Most reported state/territory
- Pennsylvania (25)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 209 complaints were recorded on 1 January 2020, with reports originating from 163 cities in 35 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.
The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this date, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 25 | 12.0% |
| California | 21 | 10.0% |
| New York | 16 | 7.7% |
| Texas | 16 | 7.7% |
| Florida | 15 | 7.2% |
| Ohio | 15 | 7.2% |
| Nevada | 9 | 4.3% |
| Arizona | 8 | 3.8% |
| New Jersey | 7 | 3.3% |
| Washington | 6 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 71 | 34.0% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 6 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 124 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 124 | 59.3% |
| TV | 41 | 19.6% |
| Internet | 36 | 17.2% |
| Radio | 5 | 2.4% |
| Emergency | 2 | 1.0% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.5% |
Phone complaints
124 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 59.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 77 | 62.1% |
| Equipment | 15 | 12.1% |
| Billing | 13 | 10.5% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 8 | 6.5% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 5 | 4.0% |
| Privacy | 3 | 2.4% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 2 | 1.6% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 1 | 0.8% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Equipment, Billing and Availability (including rural call completion).
TV complaints
41 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 19.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 16 | 39.0% |
| Billing | 13 | 31.7% |
| Indecency | 6 | 14.6% |
| Loud Commercials | 4 | 9.8% |
| Equipment | 2 | 4.9% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Internet complaints
36 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 17.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 15 | 41.7% |
| Billing | 11 | 30.6% |
| Privacy | 4 | 11.1% |
| Speed | 3 | 8.3% |
| Interference | 2 | 5.6% |
| Equipment | 1 | 2.8% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
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.