FCC Consumer Complaints – 19 May 2020
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 811 consumer complaints on Tuesday, 19 May 2020 relating to telecommunications services, this represented an increase from the 757 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 47 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 401 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 811
- States & territories reporting
- 47
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (401)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (99)
Where the complaints came from
The 811 complaints recorded on 19 May 2020 originated from 579 cities across 47 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant 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 | 99 | 12.2% |
| Florida | 76 | 9.4% |
| Texas | 71 | 8.8% |
| New York | 34 | 4.2% |
| Georgia | 28 | 3.5% |
| Illinois | 28 | 3.5% |
| Michigan | 25 | 3.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 25 | 3.1% |
| New Jersey | 24 | 3.0% |
| Arizona | 23 | 2.8% |
| Other states and territories | 374 | 46.1% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 6 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 540 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 540 | 66.6% |
| Internet | 172 | 21.2% |
| TV | 83 | 10.2% |
| Radio | 12 | 1.5% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
540 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 66.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 401 | 74.3% |
| Billing | 58 | 10.7% |
| Equipment | 28 | 5.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 18 | 3.3% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 12 | 2.2% |
| Junk Faxes | 8 | 1.5% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 6 | 1.1% |
| Privacy | 6 | 1.1% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 2 | 0.4% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.2% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).
Internet complaints
172 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 21.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 63 | 36.6% |
| Billing | 43 | 25.0% |
| Speed | 34 | 19.8% |
| Interference | 13 | 7.6% |
| Equipment | 12 | 7.0% |
| Privacy | 7 | 4.1% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
83 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 43 | 51.8% |
| Availability | 20 | 24.1% |
| Loud Commercials | 12 | 14.5% |
| Equipment | 4 | 4.8% |
| Indecency | 4 | 4.8% |
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.