FCC Consumer Complaints – 23 April 2020
Introduction
On Thursday, 23 April 2020, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 687 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 734 complaints recorded the day before. Complaints were reported across 47 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 382 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 687
- States & territories reporting
- 47
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (382)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (72)
Where the complaints came from
The 687 complaints recorded on 23 April 2020 were submitted from 502 cities across 47 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 | 72 | 10.5% |
| Texas | 56 | 8.2% |
| Florida | 50 | 7.3% |
| New York | 31 | 4.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 30 | 4.4% |
| Kentucky | 29 | 4.2% |
| Nevada | 25 | 3.6% |
| Georgia | 23 | 3.3% |
| Arizona | 21 | 3.1% |
| North Carolina | 20 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 328 | 47.7% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 5 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 475 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 475 | 69.1% |
| Internet | 134 | 19.5% |
| TV | 67 | 9.8% |
| Radio | 7 | 1.0% |
| Accessibility | 4 | 0.6% |
Phone complaints
475 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 69.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 382 | 80.4% |
| Billing | 36 | 7.6% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 18 | 3.8% |
| Equipment | 13 | 2.7% |
| Privacy | 10 | 2.1% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 5 | 1.1% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 5 | 1.1% |
| Junk Faxes | 4 | 0.8% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 2 | 0.4% |
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, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
Internet complaints
134 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 19.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 52 | 38.8% |
| Availability | 42 | 31.3% |
| Speed | 23 | 17.2% |
| Interference | 7 | 5.2% |
| Privacy | 6 | 4.5% |
| Equipment | 4 | 3.0% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
67 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 34 | 50.7% |
| Availability | 18 | 26.9% |
| Loud Commercials | 8 | 11.9% |
| Indecency | 4 | 6.0% |
| Equipment | 3 | 4.5% |
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.