FCC Consumer Complaints – 10 November 2020

Introduction

On Tuesday, 10 November 2020, 1959 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented an increase from the 1036 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 53 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls recorded a slightly higher number of complaints than other issues.

Key statistics

Total complaints
1959
States & territories reporting
53
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (713)
Most reported state/territory
California (205)

Where the complaints came from

On 10 November 2020, the 1959 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 1184 cities across 53 states and territories. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.

The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this date, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.

State/Territory Complaints
California 205 10.5%
Texas 172 8.8%
Florida 166 8.5%
New York 133 6.8%
Pennsylvania 79 4.0%
Colorado 73 3.7%
Arizona 71 3.6%
Georgia 67 3.4%
Ohio 65 3.3%
North Carolina 63 3.2%
Other states and territories 860 43.9%

What the complaints were about

Complaints recorded on this date related to 7 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within TV, which accounted for 886 reports. This was followed by Phone, which accounted for 869 complaints.

Complaint category Complaints Share
TV 886 45.2%
Phone 869 44.4%
Internet 163 8.3%
Radio 29 1.5%
Accessibility 7 0.4%
Emergency 4 0.2%
Request for Dispute Assistance 1 0.1%

TV complaints

886 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 45.2% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Indecency 351 39.6%
Interference 247 27.9%
Availability 215 24.3%
Billing 39 4.4%
Loud Commercials 15 1.7%
Privacy 13 1.5%
Equipment 6 0.7%

The largest share of complaints in this category related to Indecency and Interference, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.

Phone complaints

869 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 44.4% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 713 82.0%
Billing 45 5.2%
Availability (including rural call completion) 34 3.9%
Equipment 20 2.3%
Privacy 15 1.7%
Junk Faxes 14 1.6%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 12 1.4%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 8 0.9%
Interference (including signal jammers) 6 0.7%
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. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.

Internet complaints

163 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.3% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 76 46.6%
Billing 36 22.1%
Speed 20 12.3%
Interference 13 8.0%
Equipment 12 7.4%
Privacy 6 3.7%

The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.

Unwanted calls

713 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 36.4% of all complaints. Reports referenced both caller ID numbers and business contact numbers, with number tables shown where meaningful patterns are present.

Most reported business contact numbers

Telephone number Complaints Share
(315) 232-8257 11 1.5%
(855) 744-2844 6 0.8%
(844) 994-3379 3 0.4%
(209) 219-2601 2 0.3%
(315) 238-8257 2 0.3%
(440) 204-5868 2 0.3%
(443) 766-6858 2 0.3%
(555) 555-5555 2 0.3%
(714) 468-6080 2 0.3%
(719) 452-8970 2 0.3%

Key patterns

  • Abandoned Calls 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: 11 November 2020 with FCC complaints data from 10 November 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.