FCC Consumer Complaints – February 2020
Introduction
In February 2020, 24569 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was higher than the 22957 complaints recorded the previous month. Complaints were reported across 55 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 13560 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 24569
- Days with complaint data
- 29
- Days with complaints
- 29
- States & territories reporting
- 55
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (13560)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (2918)
Daily complaint activity
The month averaged 847.2 complaints per day. The highest daily count was 1588 complaints on 3 February 2020, with 17 days recording more complaints than the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 16 February 2020, with 212 complaints, noticeably below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
The 24569 complaints recorded in February 2020 originated from 5753 cities across 55 states and territories. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 105 of the 111 complaints recorded in the state.
The table below summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory during the month, ordered by total reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 2918 | 11.9% |
| Texas | 2140 | 8.7% |
| Florida | 1708 | 7.0% |
| New York | 1267 | 5.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 964 | 3.9% |
| North Carolina | 892 | 3.6% |
| Illinois | 862 | 3.5% |
| Ohio | 861 | 3.5% |
| Virginia | 836 | 3.4% |
| Michigan | 818 | 3.3% |
| Other states and territories | 11239 | 45.7% |
Location highlight
Complaint activity in District of Columbia was almost entirely concentrated in Washington.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the month were spread across 7 complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 16653 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 16653 | 67.8% |
| TV | 4927 | 20.1% |
| Internet | 2591 | 10.5% |
| Radio | 308 | 1.3% |
| Accessibility | 45 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 34 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 11 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
16653 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 67.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 13560 | 81.4% |
| Billing | 1193 | 7.2% |
| Equipment | 490 | 2.9% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 420 | 2.5% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 313 | 1.9% |
| Privacy | 226 | 1.4% |
| Junk Faxes | 192 | 1.2% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 131 | 0.8% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 112 | 0.7% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 9 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 7 | 0.0% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).
TV complaints
4927 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 20.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Indecency | 2233 | 45.3% |
| Availability | 1189 | 24.1% |
| Billing | 1171 | 23.8% |
| Loud Commercials | 186 | 3.8% |
| Equipment | 91 | 1.8% |
| Interference | 39 | 0.8% |
| Privacy | 18 | 0.4% |
Indecency and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Internet complaints
2591 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 10.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1079 | 41.6% |
| Availability | 893 | 34.5% |
| Speed | 285 | 11.0% |
| Privacy | 116 | 4.5% |
| Equipment | 110 | 4.2% |
| Interference | 108 | 4.2% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Radio complaints
308 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 99 | 32.1% |
| Indecency | 74 | 24.0% |
| Interference | 71 | 23.1% |
| Pirate Radio | 37 | 12.0% |
| Billing | 12 | 3.9% |
| Equipment | 9 | 2.9% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 6 | 1.9% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Availability, Indecency and Interference.
Accessibility complaints
45 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning on TV | 15 | 33.3% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 9 | 20.0% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 7 | 15.6% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 3 | 6.7% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 2 | 4.4% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 1 | 2.2% |
| Video Description | 1 | 2.2% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Closed Captioning on TV, Closed Captioning over the Internet and Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS).
Emergency complaints
34 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 13 | 38.2% |
| Other | 10 | 29.4% |
| Phone | 8 | 23.5% |
| Tower | 3 | 8.8% |
Interference and Other accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
A total of 13560 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 55.2% 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 | 41 | 0.3% |
| (424) 204-4290 | 19 | 0.1% |
| (520) 265-5400 | 16 | 0.1% |
| (800) 950-5114 | 13 | 0.1% |
| (661) 241-8541 | 11 | 0.1% |
| (800) 892-2253 | 11 | 0.1% |
| (619) 798-9835 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (714) 769-6490 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (800) 423-4343 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (828) 436-8694 | 8 | 0.1% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (208) 262-0000 | 92 | 0.7% |
| (719) 452-8970 | 41 | 0.3% |
| (512) 675-5352 | 24 | 0.2% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 17 | 0.1% |
| (520) 265-5400 | 16 | 0.1% |
| (844) 989-1702 | 13 | 0.1% |
| (424) 204-4290 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (315) 232-8257 | 11 | 0.1% |
| (800) 847-2911 | 11 | 0.1% |
| (888) 231-5805 | 11 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (208) 262-0000 stood out as the most frequently reported business contact number.
- (719) 452-8970 stood out as the most frequently reported caller ID number.
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.