FCC Consumer Complaints – 15 January 2020
Introduction
On Wednesday, 15 January 2020, 957 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented an increase from the 954 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 51 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 586 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 957
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (586)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (102)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 15 January 2020 show 957 complaints originating from 620 cities across 51 states and territories. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. 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 | 102 | 10.7% |
| Texas | 78 | 8.2% |
| Florida | 74 | 7.7% |
| New York | 55 | 5.7% |
| Ohio | 47 | 4.9% |
| Pennsylvania | 42 | 4.4% |
| New Jersey | 36 | 3.8% |
| North Carolina | 34 | 3.6% |
| Illinois | 31 | 3.2% |
| Virginia | 31 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 422 | 44.1% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 7 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 737 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 737 | 77.0% |
| Internet | 100 | 10.4% |
| TV | 91 | 9.5% |
| Radio | 22 | 2.3% |
| Accessibility | 4 | 0.4% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
737 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 77.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 586 | 79.5% |
| Billing | 46 | 6.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 31 | 4.2% |
| Equipment | 27 | 3.7% |
| Junk Faxes | 13 | 1.8% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 13 | 1.8% |
| Privacy | 9 | 1.2% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 8 | 1.1% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 4 | 0.5% |
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. A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment among the most common.
Internet complaints
100 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 35 | 35.0% |
| Billing | 32 | 32.0% |
| Equipment | 11 | 11.0% |
| Speed | 11 | 11.0% |
| Privacy | 7 | 7.0% |
| Interference | 4 | 4.0% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
91 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 49 | 53.8% |
| Availability | 20 | 22.0% |
| Equipment | 7 | 7.7% |
| Indecency | 7 | 7.7% |
| Interference | 5 | 5.5% |
| Privacy | 2 | 2.2% |
| Loud Commercials | 1 | 1.1% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
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.