FCC Consumer Complaints – 10 March 2020
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 882 consumer complaints on 10 March 2020 relating to telecommunications services, this represented an increase from the 794 complaints recorded the previous day. Reports were received from 51 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 502 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 882
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (502)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (98)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 882 complaints were recorded on 10 March 2020, with reports originating from 624 cities in 51 states and territories. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.
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 | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 98 | 11.1% |
| Florida | 83 | 9.4% |
| Texas | 65 | 7.4% |
| New York | 39 | 4.4% |
| Maryland | 37 | 4.2% |
| Illinois | 34 | 3.9% |
| Colorado | 33 | 3.7% |
| Washington | 31 | 3.5% |
| Georgia | 30 | 3.4% |
| Virginia | 30 | 3.4% |
| Other states and territories | 398 | 45.1% |
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 638 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 638 | 72.3% |
| Internet | 125 | 14.2% |
| TV | 102 | 11.6% |
| Radio | 14 | 1.6% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
638 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 72.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 502 | 78.7% |
| Billing | 53 | 8.3% |
| Equipment | 20 | 3.1% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 17 | 2.7% |
| Junk Faxes | 15 | 2.4% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 14 | 2.2% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 6 | 0.9% |
| Privacy | 6 | 0.9% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 5 | 0.8% |
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. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).
Internet complaints
125 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 14.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 53 | 42.4% |
| Billing | 47 | 37.6% |
| Speed | 11 | 8.8% |
| Equipment | 10 | 8.0% |
| Interference | 3 | 2.4% |
| Privacy | 1 | 0.8% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
102 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 57 | 55.9% |
| Availability | 16 | 15.7% |
| Indecency | 15 | 14.7% |
| Equipment | 7 | 6.9% |
| Loud Commercials | 6 | 5.9% |
| Interference | 1 | 1.0% |
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.