FCC Consumer Complaints – 16 October 2020
Introduction
On 16 October 2020, 1108 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented an increase from the 1107 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 49 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 678 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1108
- States & territories reporting
- 49
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (678)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (130)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 16 October 2020 show 1108 complaints originating from 730 cities across 49 states and territories. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. 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 | 130 | 11.7% |
| Texas | 95 | 8.6% |
| Florida | 69 | 6.2% |
| New York | 66 | 6.0% |
| Georgia | 53 | 4.8% |
| Illinois | 48 | 4.3% |
| Virginia | 41 | 3.7% |
| North Carolina | 39 | 3.5% |
| New Jersey | 37 | 3.3% |
| Louisiana | 36 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 494 | 44.6% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 6 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 839 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 839 | 75.7% |
| Internet | 141 | 12.7% |
| TV | 102 | 9.2% |
| Radio | 16 | 1.4% |
| Accessibility | 7 | 0.6% |
| Emergency | 3 | 0.3% |
Phone complaints
839 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 75.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 678 | 80.8% |
| Billing | 46 | 5.5% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 39 | 4.6% |
| Equipment | 34 | 4.1% |
| Privacy | 15 | 1.8% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 11 | 1.3% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 7 | 0.8% |
| Junk Faxes | 6 | 0.7% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 2 | 0.2% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.1% |
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
141 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 67 | 47.5% |
| Billing | 36 | 25.5% |
| Speed | 20 | 14.2% |
| Interference | 11 | 7.8% |
| Equipment | 4 | 2.8% |
| Privacy | 3 | 2.1% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
102 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 40 | 39.2% |
| Billing | 33 | 32.4% |
| Indecency | 10 | 9.8% |
| Interference | 9 | 8.8% |
| Equipment | 5 | 4.9% |
| Loud Commercials | 5 | 4.9% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Unwanted calls
A total of 678 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 61.2% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (847) 486-0912 | 7 | 1.0% |
| (213) 759-4123 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (212) 336-1404 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (407) 410-9101 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (516) 352-5100 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (785) 510-2791 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (815) 825-4457 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (202) 235-5924 | 1 | 0.1% |
| (202) 890-8952 | 1 | 0.1% |
| (206) 673-5275 | 1 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- Reports were spread across many different business contact numbers, with no single number dominating.
- (847) 486-0912 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.