FCC Consumer Complaints – 5 March 2020
Introduction
A total of 841 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday, 5 March 2020, complaint volume fell from 902 complaints the day before. Reports were received from 50 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 547 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 841
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (547)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (87)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 841 complaints were recorded on 5 March 2020, with reports originating from 566 cities in 50 states and territories. The distribution of complaints was relatively even, with no single state or territory contributing a dominant share. 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 | 87 | 10.3% |
| Texas | 69 | 8.2% |
| Florida | 65 | 7.7% |
| New York | 56 | 6.7% |
| Illinois | 35 | 4.2% |
| North Carolina | 33 | 3.9% |
| Ohio | 31 | 3.7% |
| Colorado | 30 | 3.6% |
| Virginia | 30 | 3.6% |
| Maryland | 29 | 3.4% |
| Other states and territories | 375 | 44.6% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 5 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 671 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 671 | 79.8% |
| Internet | 88 | 10.5% |
| TV | 70 | 8.3% |
| Radio | 8 | 1.0% |
| Emergency | 4 | 0.5% |
Phone complaints
671 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 79.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 547 | 81.5% |
| Billing | 37 | 5.5% |
| Equipment | 20 | 3.0% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 18 | 2.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 16 | 2.4% |
| Privacy | 13 | 1.9% |
| Junk Faxes | 12 | 1.8% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 6 | 0.9% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 1 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 1 | 0.1% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion) among the most common.
Internet complaints
88 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 33 | 37.5% |
| Availability | 32 | 36.4% |
| Speed | 15 | 17.0% |
| Privacy | 4 | 4.5% |
| Equipment | 3 | 3.4% |
| Interference | 1 | 1.1% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
70 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 30 | 42.9% |
| Availability | 18 | 25.7% |
| Indecency | 15 | 21.4% |
| Loud Commercials | 6 | 8.6% |
| Equipment | 1 | 1.4% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
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.