FCC Consumer Complaints – 26 February 2020
Introduction
On 26 February 2020, 1581 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, complaint volume increased from 1018 complaints the previous day. Reports were received from 52 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls recorded a slightly higher number of complaints than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1581
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (639)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (182)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 1581 complaints were recorded on 26 February 2020, with reports originating from 1020 cities in 52 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. At the city level, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share of the total.
The table below summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory on this date, ordered by total reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 182 | 11.5% |
| Texas | 161 | 10.2% |
| Florida | 99 | 6.3% |
| New York | 88 | 5.6% |
| Pennsylvania | 62 | 3.9% |
| North Carolina | 58 | 3.7% |
| Virginia | 57 | 3.6% |
| New Jersey | 53 | 3.4% |
| Michigan | 50 | 3.2% |
| Illinois | 49 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 718 | 45.4% |
Location highlight
Complaints in California were reported across 117 cities, the widest spread observed on this date.
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 5 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 763 complaints. This was followed by TV, which accounted for 677 complaints.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 763 | 48.3% |
| TV | 677 | 42.8% |
| Internet | 126 | 8.0% |
| Radio | 12 | 0.8% |
| Accessibility | 3 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
763 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 48.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 639 | 83.7% |
| Billing | 42 | 5.5% |
| Junk Faxes | 16 | 2.1% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 16 | 2.1% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 15 | 2.0% |
| Equipment | 15 | 2.0% |
| Privacy | 11 | 1.4% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 5 | 0.7% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 4 | 0.5% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Junk Faxes and Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers).
TV complaints
677 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 42.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Indecency | 454 | 67.1% |
| Availability | 135 | 19.9% |
| Billing | 63 | 9.3% |
| Loud Commercials | 14 | 2.1% |
| Equipment | 5 | 0.7% |
| Interference | 5 | 0.7% |
| Privacy | 1 | 0.1% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Indecency and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Internet complaints
126 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 56 | 44.4% |
| Availability | 35 | 27.8% |
| Speed | 16 | 12.7% |
| Privacy | 10 | 7.9% |
| Interference | 6 | 4.8% |
| Equipment | 3 | 2.4% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, 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.