FCC Consumer Complaints – 21 November 2020
Introduction
On 21 November 2020, 460 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, complaint volume fell from 967 complaints the previous day. Reports were received from 48 states and territories, with California accounting for the largest number of submissions at 70 complaints. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 228 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 460
- States & territories reporting
- 48
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (228)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (70)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 21 November 2020 show 460 complaints originating from 358 cities across 48 states and territories. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. 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 | 70 | 15.2% |
| Florida | 33 | 7.2% |
| New York | 26 | 5.7% |
| Texas | 24 | 5.2% |
| Illinois | 22 | 4.8% |
| North Carolina | 18 | 3.9% |
| Ohio | 18 | 3.9% |
| New Jersey | 15 | 3.3% |
| Georgia | 12 | 2.6% |
| Michigan | 12 | 2.6% |
| Other states and territories | 210 | 45.7% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 5 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 296 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 296 | 64.3% |
| Internet | 82 | 17.8% |
| TV | 61 | 13.3% |
| Radio | 13 | 2.8% |
| Emergency | 8 | 1.7% |
Phone complaints
296 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 64.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 228 | 77.0% |
| Billing | 21 | 7.1% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 16 | 5.4% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 10 | 3.4% |
| Equipment | 8 | 2.7% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 6 | 2.0% |
| Privacy | 5 | 1.7% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 2 | 0.7% |
As is typical for this category, unwanted calls accounted for the largest share of complaints. A more detailed analysis of these reports is provided in the section below. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers).
Internet complaints
82 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 17.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 25 | 30.5% |
| Billing | 22 | 26.8% |
| Speed | 18 | 22.0% |
| Interference | 10 | 12.2% |
| Privacy | 5 | 6.1% |
| Equipment | 2 | 2.4% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Availability, Billing and Speed.
TV complaints
61 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 13.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 19 | 31.1% |
| Billing | 19 | 31.1% |
| Loud Commercials | 13 | 21.3% |
| Indecency | 6 | 9.8% |
| Interference | 4 | 6.6% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Unwanted calls
228 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 49.6% 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 | 10 | 4.4% |
| (229) 367-3020 | 2 | 0.9% |
| (619) 290-8521 | 2 | 0.9% |
| (833) 304-1447 | 2 | 0.9% |
| (202) 918-6115 | 1 | 0.4% |
| (202) 963-3579 | 1 | 0.4% |
| (210) 871-1762 | 1 | 0.4% |
| (210) 942-2332 | 1 | 0.4% |
| (210) 946-3335 | 1 | 0.4% |
| (216) 327-2284 | 1 | 0.4% |
Key patterns
- Abandoned Calls was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (315) 232-8257 stood out as the most frequently reported business contact number.
- Reports were spread across many different caller ID numbers, with no single number dominating.
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.