FCC Consumer Complaints – 17 April 2020
Introduction
A total of 709 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on 17 April 2020, this represented a decline from the 718 complaints recorded the day before. Complaints were reported across 50 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 320 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 709
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (320)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (75)
Where the complaints came from
Across 520 cities in 50 states and territories, a total of 709 complaints were recorded on 17 April 2020. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 75 | 10.6% |
| Texas | 61 | 8.6% |
| Florida | 53 | 7.5% |
| New York | 41 | 5.8% |
| Ohio | 33 | 4.7% |
| Illinois | 29 | 4.1% |
| Virginia | 29 | 4.1% |
| Arizona | 28 | 3.9% |
| New Jersey | 28 | 3.9% |
| Pennsylvania | 24 | 3.4% |
| Other states and territories | 306 | 43.2% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 7 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 446 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 446 | 62.9% |
| Internet | 147 | 20.7% |
| TV | 91 | 12.8% |
| Radio | 20 | 2.8% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.3% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.3% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
446 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 62.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 320 | 71.7% |
| Billing | 49 | 11.0% |
| Equipment | 17 | 3.8% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 15 | 3.4% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 10 | 2.2% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 9 | 2.0% |
| Privacy | 9 | 2.0% |
| Junk Faxes | 8 | 1.8% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 6 | 1.3% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 2 | 0.4% |
| Rural Call Completion | 1 | 0.2% |
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
147 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 20.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 53 | 36.1% |
| Billing | 51 | 34.7% |
| Speed | 27 | 18.4% |
| Interference | 6 | 4.1% |
| Privacy | 6 | 4.1% |
| Equipment | 4 | 2.7% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
91 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 51 | 56.0% |
| Availability | 23 | 25.3% |
| Equipment | 5 | 5.5% |
| Indecency | 5 | 5.5% |
| Interference | 3 | 3.3% |
| Loud Commercials | 3 | 3.3% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.1% |
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.