FCC Consumer Complaints – June 2020
Introduction
In June 2020, 23024 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was higher than the 18227 complaints recorded the previous month. The complaints came from 54 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 12896 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 23024
- Days with complaint data
- 30
- Days with complaints
- 30
- States & territories reporting
- 54
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (12896)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (2658)
Daily complaint activity
The month averaged 767.5 complaints per day. The highest daily count was 1137 complaints on 24 June 2020, with 21 days recording more complaints than the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 21 June 2020, with 231 complaints, noticeably below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
The 23024 complaints recorded in June 2020 were submitted from 5400 cities across 54 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. Despite the overall distribution, a notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 105 of the 122 complaints recorded in the state.
The table below summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory during the month, ordered by total reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 2658 | 11.5% |
| Texas | 2050 | 8.9% |
| Florida | 1782 | 7.7% |
| New York | 1415 | 6.1% |
| Ohio | 831 | 3.6% |
| North Carolina | 809 | 3.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 766 | 3.3% |
| Illinois | 762 | 3.3% |
| Georgia | 716 | 3.1% |
| Arizona | 679 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 10477 | 45.5% |
Location highlight
A large share of complaints in District of Columbia originated from Washington, which accounted for most reports within the state.
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded during the month related to 7 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 16559 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 16559 | 71.9% |
| Internet | 3704 | 16.1% |
| TV | 2294 | 10.0% |
| Radio | 330 | 1.4% |
| Accessibility | 70 | 0.3% |
| Emergency | 51 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 16 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
16559 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 71.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 12896 | 77.9% |
| Billing | 1200 | 7.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 791 | 4.8% |
| Equipment | 616 | 3.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 322 | 1.9% |
| Privacy | 273 | 1.6% |
| Junk Faxes | 209 | 1.3% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 140 | 0.8% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 97 | 0.6% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 11 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 4 | 0.0% |
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. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
Internet complaints
3704 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 16.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 1619 | 43.7% |
| Billing | 1078 | 29.1% |
| Speed | 467 | 12.6% |
| Equipment | 215 | 5.8% |
| Interference | 195 | 5.3% |
| Privacy | 129 | 3.5% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
2294 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 10.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 894 | 39.0% |
| Availability | 671 | 29.3% |
| Indecency | 297 | 12.9% |
| Loud Commercials | 197 | 8.6% |
| Equipment | 167 | 7.3% |
| Interference | 51 | 2.2% |
| Privacy | 17 | 0.7% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Radio complaints
330 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 109 | 33.0% |
| Interference | 73 | 22.1% |
| Indecency | 68 | 20.6% |
| Pirate Radio | 37 | 11.2% |
| Billing | 18 | 5.5% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 14 | 4.2% |
| Equipment | 11 | 3.3% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Availability, Interference and Indecency.
Accessibility complaints
70 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 24 | 34.3% |
| Closed Captioning on TV | 17 | 24.3% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 11 | 15.7% |
| Video Description | 4 | 5.7% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 3 | 4.3% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 2 | 2.9% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS), Closed Captioning on TV and Closed Captioning over the Internet.
Emergency complaints
51 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 25 | 49.0% |
| Other | 21 | 41.2% |
| Phone | 3 | 5.9% |
| Tower | 2 | 3.9% |
Interference and Other were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Unwanted calls
A total of 12896 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 56% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact numbers are shown below where sufficient data is available.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (719) 452-8970 | 43 | 0.3% |
| (855) 468-6792 | 17 | 0.1% |
| (855) 466-3908 | 16 | 0.1% |
| (800) 282-7541 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (800) 275-2273 | 11 | 0.1% |
| (800) 531-8722 | 11 | 0.1% |
| (800) 869-3557 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (704) 972-0980 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (747) 221-9145 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (833) 540-0824 | 7 | 0.1% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (315) 232-8257 | 57 | 0.4% |
| (208) 262-0000 | 51 | 0.4% |
| (719) 452-8970 | 43 | 0.3% |
| (844) 989-1702 | 35 | 0.3% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 23 | 0.2% |
| (833) 551-0677 | 23 | 0.2% |
| (855) 468-6792 | 22 | 0.2% |
| (855) 466-3908 | 21 | 0.2% |
| (844) 989-1708 | 13 | 0.1% |
| (844) 989-1711 | 12 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (315) 232-8257 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- (719) 452-8970 stood out as the most frequently reported caller ID number.
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.