FCC Consumer Complaints – 3 July 2020
Introduction
On Friday, 3 July 2020, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 674 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume fell from 951 complaints the previous day. Reports were received from 49 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 405 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 674
- States & territories reporting
- 49
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (405)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (83)
Where the complaints came from
Across 473 cities in 49 states and territories, a total of 674 complaints were recorded on 3 July 2020. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 83 | 12.3% |
| New York | 51 | 7.6% |
| Ohio | 44 | 6.5% |
| Texas | 43 | 6.4% |
| Florida | 42 | 6.2% |
| Colorado | 25 | 3.7% |
| Illinois | 25 | 3.7% |
| New Jersey | 25 | 3.7% |
| Michigan | 24 | 3.6% |
| Pennsylvania | 24 | 3.6% |
| Other states and territories | 288 | 42.7% |
What the complaints were about
A total of 5 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 491 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 491 | 72.8% |
| Internet | 115 | 17.1% |
| TV | 63 | 9.3% |
| Radio | 3 | 0.4% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.3% |
Phone complaints
491 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 72.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 405 | 82.5% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 27 | 5.5% |
| Billing | 25 | 5.1% |
| Equipment | 14 | 2.9% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 7 | 1.4% |
| Privacy | 6 | 1.2% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 4 | 0.8% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 2 | 0.4% |
| Junk Faxes | 1 | 0.2% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Availability (including rural call completion), Billing and Equipment.
Internet complaints
115 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 17.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 49 | 42.6% |
| Billing | 30 | 26.1% |
| Speed | 17 | 14.8% |
| Equipment | 8 | 7.0% |
| Interference | 6 | 5.2% |
| Privacy | 5 | 4.3% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
63 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 27 | 42.9% |
| Billing | 24 | 38.1% |
| Loud Commercials | 6 | 9.5% |
| Interference | 3 | 4.8% |
| Indecency | 2 | 3.2% |
| Equipment | 1 | 1.6% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
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.