FCC Consumer Complaints – 11 August 2020

Introduction

The Federal Communications Commission recorded 1187 consumer complaints on 11 August 2020 relating to telecommunications services, this represented an increase from the 1106 complaints recorded the previous day. Complaints were reported across 52 states and territories, with Texas slightly ahead of the other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 616 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
1187
States & territories reporting
52
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (616)
Most reported state/territory
Texas (133)

Where the complaints came from

Reports recorded on 11 August 2020 show 1187 complaints originating from 798 cities across 52 states and territories. The distribution of complaints was relatively even, with no single state or territory 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
Texas 133 11.2%
California 115 9.7%
New York 101 8.5%
Florida 91 7.7%
New Jersey 52 4.4%
Pennsylvania 44 3.7%
Arizona 43 3.6%
North Carolina 40 3.4%
Ohio 39 3.3%
Maryland 36 3.0%
Other states and territories 490 41.3%

What the complaints were about

The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 6 complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 819 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 819 69.0%
Internet 234 19.7%
TV 113 9.5%
Radio 17 1.4%
Emergency 3 0.3%
Accessibility 1 0.1%

Phone complaints

819 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 69.0% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 616 75.2%
Billing 59 7.2%
Availability (including rural call completion) 55 6.7%
Equipment 28 3.4%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 25 3.1%
Privacy 11 1.3%
Junk Faxes 9 1.1%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 8 1.0%
Interference (including signal jammers) 6 0.7%
Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) 2 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. 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

234 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 19.7% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 121 51.7%
Billing 55 23.5%
Speed 32 13.7%
Interference 12 5.1%
Equipment 10 4.3%
Privacy 4 1.7%

Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.

TV complaints

113 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.5% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 50 44.2%
Availability 39 34.5%
Loud Commercials 9 8.0%
Equipment 5 4.4%
Indecency 5 4.4%
Interference 5 4.4%

Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.

Unwanted calls

A total of 616 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 51.9% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact numbers are shown below where sufficient data is available.

Most reported business contact numbers

Telephone number Complaints Share
(315) 232-8257 7 1.1%
(208) 262-0000 4 0.6%
(207) 295-7931 2 0.3%
(346) 271-7690 2 0.3%
(662) 298-4401 2 0.3%
(833) 777-6477 2 0.3%
(844) 989-1708 2 0.3%
(854) 203-3670 2 0.3%
(201) 422-3863 1 0.2%
(202) 507-5646 1 0.2%

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.
  • Reports were spread across many different caller ID numbers, with no single number dominating.
Page last updated: 12 August 2020 with FCC complaints data from 11 August 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.