FCC Consumer Complaints – 6 May 2020
Introduction
On Wednesday, 6 May 2020, 666 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was lower than the 805 complaints recorded the previous day. The complaints came from 48 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 314 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 666
- States & territories reporting
- 48
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (314)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (67)
Where the complaints came from
The 666 complaints recorded on 6 May 2020 originated from 512 cities across 48 states and territories. Activity was spread across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a substantial share of complaints. 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 | 67 | 10.1% |
| Texas | 64 | 9.6% |
| Florida | 48 | 7.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 37 | 5.6% |
| New York | 35 | 5.3% |
| New Jersey | 34 | 5.1% |
| Georgia | 32 | 4.8% |
| Illinois | 31 | 4.7% |
| North Carolina | 27 | 4.1% |
| Ohio | 23 | 3.5% |
| Other states and territories | 267 | 40.1% |
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 445 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 445 | 66.8% |
| Internet | 139 | 20.9% |
| TV | 67 | 10.1% |
| Radio | 11 | 1.7% |
| Accessibility | 3 | 0.5% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
445 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 66.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 314 | 70.6% |
| Billing | 43 | 9.7% |
| Equipment | 21 | 4.7% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 19 | 4.3% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 18 | 4.0% |
| Junk Faxes | 10 | 2.2% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 7 | 1.6% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 6 | 1.3% |
| Privacy | 4 | 0.9% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 3 | 0.7% |
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. 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
139 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 20.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 55 | 39.6% |
| Billing | 45 | 32.4% |
| Speed | 23 | 16.5% |
| Interference | 7 | 5.0% |
| Privacy | 5 | 3.6% |
| Equipment | 4 | 2.9% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
67 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 38 | 56.7% |
| Availability | 16 | 23.9% |
| Indecency | 5 | 7.5% |
| Loud Commercials | 4 | 6.0% |
| Equipment | 3 | 4.5% |
| Interference | 1 | 1.5% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
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.