FCC Consumer Complaints – 26 March 2020
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 648 consumer complaints on Thursday, 26 March 2020 relating to telecommunications services, this represented an increase from the 638 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 49 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 294 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 648
- States & territories reporting
- 49
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (294)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (76)
Where the complaints came from
The 648 complaints recorded on 26 March 2020 were submitted from 465 cities across 49 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location 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 | 76 | 11.7% |
| Texas | 56 | 8.6% |
| Florida | 53 | 8.2% |
| Michigan | 30 | 4.6% |
| New York | 29 | 4.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 28 | 4.3% |
| Ohio | 23 | 3.5% |
| North Carolina | 21 | 3.2% |
| Virginia | 20 | 3.1% |
| Arizona | 19 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 289 | 44.6% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 7 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 398 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 398 | 61.4% |
| Internet | 146 | 22.5% |
| TV | 88 | 13.6% |
| Radio | 10 | 1.5% |
| Accessibility | 3 | 0.5% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 2 | 0.3% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
398 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 61.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 294 | 73.9% |
| Billing | 44 | 11.1% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 17 | 4.3% |
| Equipment | 15 | 3.8% |
| Junk Faxes | 9 | 2.3% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 7 | 1.8% |
| Privacy | 5 | 1.3% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 4 | 1.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 3 | 0.8% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
Internet complaints
146 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 22.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 52 | 35.6% |
| Billing | 47 | 32.2% |
| Speed | 31 | 21.2% |
| Interference | 9 | 6.2% |
| Equipment | 4 | 2.7% |
| Privacy | 3 | 2.1% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
88 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 13.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 39 | 44.3% |
| Availability | 29 | 33.0% |
| Indecency | 7 | 8.0% |
| Loud Commercials | 6 | 6.8% |
| Equipment | 5 | 5.7% |
| Interference | 2 | 2.3% |
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.