FCC Consumer Complaints – July 2020
Introduction
A total of 26957 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission in July 2020, this was higher than the 23024 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 14870 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 26957
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 54
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (14870)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (3208)
Daily complaint activity
The month averaged 869.6 complaints per day. The highest daily count was 1209 complaints on 28 July 2020, with 22 days recording more complaints than the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 5 July 2020, with 239 complaints, noticeably below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
Across 5950 cities in 54 states and territories, a total of 26957 complaints were recorded in July 2020. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 115 of the 125 complaints recorded in the state.
The monthly distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 3208 | 11.9% |
| Texas | 2437 | 9.0% |
| Florida | 1937 | 7.2% |
| New York | 1592 | 5.9% |
| Ohio | 1005 | 3.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 1004 | 3.7% |
| New Jersey | 936 | 3.5% |
| Georgia | 870 | 3.2% |
| Illinois | 864 | 3.2% |
| North Carolina | 852 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 12182 | 45.2% |
Location highlight
Nearly all complaints reported in District of Columbia originated from Washington.
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded during the month related to 7 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 18975 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 18975 | 70.4% |
| Internet | 4747 | 17.6% |
| TV | 2732 | 10.1% |
| Radio | 372 | 1.4% |
| Emergency | 66 | 0.2% |
| Accessibility | 49 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 16 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
18975 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 70.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 14870 | 78.4% |
| Billing | 1359 | 7.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 1059 | 5.6% |
| Equipment | 647 | 3.4% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 330 | 1.7% |
| Privacy | 260 | 1.4% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 149 | 0.8% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 140 | 0.7% |
| Junk Faxes | 133 | 0.7% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 20 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 8 | 0.0% |
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, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
Internet complaints
4747 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 17.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 2037 | 42.9% |
| Billing | 1328 | 28.0% |
| Speed | 612 | 12.9% |
| Equipment | 293 | 6.2% |
| Interference | 293 | 6.2% |
| Privacy | 184 | 3.9% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
2732 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 10.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1101 | 40.3% |
| Availability | 878 | 32.1% |
| Indecency | 315 | 11.5% |
| Loud Commercials | 198 | 7.2% |
| Equipment | 156 | 5.7% |
| Interference | 55 | 2.0% |
| Privacy | 29 | 1.1% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Radio complaints
372 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 113 | 30.4% |
| Interference | 81 | 21.8% |
| Indecency | 74 | 19.9% |
| Pirate Radio | 61 | 16.4% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 19 | 5.1% |
| Billing | 14 | 3.8% |
| Equipment | 10 | 2.7% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Availability, Interference and Indecency.
Emergency complaints
66 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 33 | 50.0% |
| Other | 21 | 31.8% |
| Tower | 7 | 10.6% |
| Phone | 5 | 7.6% |
Interference and Other were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Accessibility complaints
49 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 13 | 26.5% |
| Closed Captioning on TV | 9 | 18.4% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 6 | 12.2% |
| Video Description | 4 | 8.2% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 3 | 6.1% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 2 | 4.1% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 2 | 4.1% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Closed Captioning over the Internet, Closed Captioning on TV and Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS).
Unwanted calls
14870 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 55.2% of all complaints. Reports referenced both caller ID numbers and business contact numbers, with number tables shown where meaningful patterns are present.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (719) 452-8970 | 44 | 0.3% |
| (800) 555-3333 | 16 | 0.1% |
| (908) 441-6302 | 16 | 0.1% |
| (800) 536-3726 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (877) 204-3930 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (800) 800-2775 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (800) 869-3557 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (800) 225-5935 | 11 | 0.1% |
| (866) 283-6635 | 11 | 0.1% |
| (314) 405-9121 | 9 | 0.1% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (208) 262-0000 | 158 | 1.1% |
| (315) 232-8257 | 143 | 1.0% |
| (719) 452-8970 | 44 | 0.3% |
| (844) 989-1708 | 31 | 0.2% |
| (844) 204-9279 | 24 | 0.2% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 21 | 0.1% |
| (800) 555-3333 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (855) 233-0333 | 13 | 0.1% |
| (209) 887-6520 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (800) 536-3726 | 10 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (208) 262-0000 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.