FCC Consumer Complaints – October 2020
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 30888 consumer complaints in October 2020 relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume increased from 28005 complaints the month before. Complaints were reported across 55 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 17121 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 30888
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 55
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (17121)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (3227)
Daily complaint activity
Across the month, the FCC recorded an average of 996.4 complaints per day. The highest daily total was 2077 complaints on 11 October 2020, while 20 days recorded more complaints than the monthly daily average. The lowest daily total was 343 complaints on 18 October 2020, well below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
The 30888 complaints recorded in October 2020 originated from 5971 cities across 55 states and territories. The distribution of complaints was relatively even, with no single state or territory contributing a dominant share. At the city level, a significant concentration was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 123 of the 128 complaints recorded.
The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this month, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 3227 | 10.4% |
| Puerto Rico | 2826 | 9.1% |
| Texas | 2424 | 7.8% |
| Florida | 2097 | 6.8% |
| New York | 1830 | 5.9% |
| Pennsylvania | 1079 | 3.5% |
| Georgia | 996 | 3.2% |
| Illinois | 931 | 3.0% |
| North Carolina | 893 | 2.9% |
| New Jersey | 854 | 2.8% |
| Other states and territories | 13688 | 44.3% |
Location highlight
Complaint activity in District of Columbia was almost entirely concentrated in Washington.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the month fell into 7 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 20724 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 20724 | 67.1% |
| TV | 5179 | 16.8% |
| Internet | 3895 | 12.6% |
| Radio | 950 | 3.1% |
| Accessibility | 84 | 0.3% |
| Emergency | 45 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 11 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
20724 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 67.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 17121 | 82.6% |
| Billing | 1151 | 5.6% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 853 | 4.1% |
| Equipment | 561 | 2.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 294 | 1.4% |
| Privacy | 254 | 1.2% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 183 | 0.9% |
| Junk Faxes | 164 | 0.8% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 125 | 0.6% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 15 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 3 | 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. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
TV complaints
5179 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 16.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Indecency | 3036 | 58.6% |
| Billing | 874 | 16.9% |
| Availability | 761 | 14.7% |
| Loud Commercials | 260 | 5.0% |
| Equipment | 140 | 2.7% |
| Interference | 80 | 1.5% |
| Privacy | 28 | 0.5% |
Indecency and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Internet complaints
3895 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 12.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 1615 | 41.5% |
| Billing | 1066 | 27.4% |
| Speed | 511 | 13.1% |
| Interference | 276 | 7.1% |
| Equipment | 261 | 6.7% |
| Privacy | 166 | 4.3% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Radio complaints
950 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 3.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Indecency | 593 | 62.4% |
| Availability | 142 | 14.9% |
| Interference | 83 | 8.7% |
| Pirate Radio | 83 | 8.7% |
| Billing | 27 | 2.8% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 14 | 1.5% |
| Equipment | 8 | 0.8% |
Indecency and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Accessibility complaints
84 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 31 | 36.9% |
| Closed Captioning on TV | 24 | 28.6% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 6 | 7.1% |
| Video Description | 4 | 4.8% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 3 | 3.6% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 3 | 3.6% |
Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) and Closed Captioning on TV accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Emergency complaints
45 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 20 | 44.4% |
| Other | 20 | 44.4% |
| Phone | 4 | 8.9% |
| Tower | 1 | 2.2% |
Interference and Other accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
17121 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 55.4% 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 | 36 | 0.2% |
| (855) 523-6111 | 31 | 0.2% |
| (315) 232-8257 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (970) 401-1880 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (785) 510-2791 | 10 | 0.1% |
| (605) 321-9680 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (866) 484-2614 | 8 | 0.0% |
| (847) 486-0912 | 7 | 0.0% |
| (424) 204-4902 | 6 | 0.0% |
| (586) 879-1222 | 6 | 0.0% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (315) 232-8257 | 237 | 1.4% |
| (208) 262-0000 | 85 | 0.5% |
| (844) 989-1708 | 85 | 0.5% |
| (719) 452-8970 | 36 | 0.2% |
| (855) 523-6111 | 23 | 0.1% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 20 | 0.1% |
| (855) 584-8315 | 16 | 0.1% |
| (800) 410-6311 | 10 | 0.1% |
| (202) 866-7734 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (925) 209-2715 | 9 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (315) 232-8257 stood out as the most frequently reported business contact number.
- (719) 452-8970 was reported slightly more often than other caller ID numbers.
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.