FCC Consumer Complaints – 22 May 2020

Introduction

On Friday, 22 May 2020, 673 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was lower than the 859 complaints recorded the previous day. Complaints were reported across 45 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 374 complaints recorded.

Key statistics

Total complaints
673
States & territories reporting
45
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (374)
Most reported state/territory
California (77)

Where the complaints came from

On 22 May 2020, the 673 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 492 cities across 45 states and territories. Activity was spread across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a substantial share of complaints. 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 77 11.4%
Texas 54 8.0%
Florida 53 7.9%
New York 34 5.1%
Arizona 27 4.0%
Illinois 26 3.9%
Georgia 25 3.7%
North Carolina 24 3.6%
Pennsylvania 24 3.6%
Virginia 21 3.1%
Other states and territories 307 45.6%

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 464 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 464 68.9%
Internet 114 16.9%
TV 71 10.5%
Accessibility 15 2.2%
Radio 7 1.0%
Emergency 2 0.3%

Phone complaints

464 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 68.9% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 374 80.6%
Billing 40 8.6%
Availability (including rural call completion) 17 3.7%
Equipment 11 2.4%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 8 1.7%
Privacy 8 1.7%
Junk Faxes 4 0.9%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 1 0.2%
Interference (including signal jammers) 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. A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment among the most common.

Internet complaints

114 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 16.9% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 49 43.0%
Billing 41 36.0%
Speed 13 11.4%
Equipment 5 4.4%
Privacy 5 4.4%
Interference 1 0.9%

The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.

TV complaints

71 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.5% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 39 54.9%
Availability 20 28.2%
Indecency 4 5.6%
Loud Commercials 4 5.6%
Privacy 2 2.8%
Equipment 1 1.4%
Interference 1 1.4%

The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.

Page last updated: 23 May 2020 with FCC complaints data from 22 May 2020.

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.