FCC Consumer Complaints – December 2020
Introduction
A total of 23992 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission in December 2020, this represented a decline from the 24129 complaints recorded the previous month. Complaints were reported across 55 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 12443 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 23992
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 55
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (12443)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (2627)
Daily complaint activity
Daily complaint activity averaged 773.9 complaints per day during the month. The busiest day was 8 December 2020, when 1321 complaints were recorded, and 17 days were above the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 25 December 2020, with 170 complaints, noticeably below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
The 23992 complaints recorded in December 2020 were submitted from 5534 cities across 55 states and territories. The distribution of complaints was relatively even, with no single state or territory contributing a dominant share. Despite the overall distribution, a notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 109 of the 116 complaints recorded in the state.
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 | 2627 | 10.9% |
| Texas | 2038 | 8.5% |
| Florida | 1670 | 7.0% |
| New York | 1601 | 6.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 952 | 4.0% |
| Georgia | 865 | 3.6% |
| Ohio | 838 | 3.5% |
| Virginia | 792 | 3.3% |
| New Jersey | 762 | 3.2% |
| North Carolina | 714 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 11097 | 46.3% |
Location highlight
Nearly all complaints reported in District of Columbia originated from Washington.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the month were spread across 7 complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 16370 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 16370 | 68.2% |
| Internet | 3853 | 16.1% |
| TV | 3288 | 13.7% |
| Radio | 330 | 1.4% |
| Accessibility | 84 | 0.4% |
| Emergency | 49 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 18 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
16370 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 68.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 12443 | 76.0% |
| Billing | 1423 | 8.7% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 879 | 5.4% |
| Equipment | 584 | 3.6% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 374 | 2.3% |
| Privacy | 268 | 1.6% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 181 | 1.1% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 120 | 0.7% |
| Junk Faxes | 83 | 0.5% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 11 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 4 | 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.
Internet complaints
3853 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 16.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 1294 | 33.6% |
| Billing | 1291 | 33.5% |
| Speed | 519 | 13.5% |
| Interference | 409 | 10.6% |
| Equipment | 208 | 5.4% |
| Privacy | 132 | 3.4% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
3288 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 13.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 1479 | 45.0% |
| Billing | 944 | 28.7% |
| Loud Commercials | 443 | 13.5% |
| Indecency | 192 | 5.8% |
| Equipment | 136 | 4.1% |
| Interference | 79 | 2.4% |
| Privacy | 15 | 0.5% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Radio complaints
330 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 93 | 28.2% |
| Availability | 80 | 24.2% |
| Pirate Radio | 65 | 19.7% |
| Indecency | 40 | 12.1% |
| Billing | 20 | 6.1% |
| Equipment | 18 | 5.5% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 14 | 4.2% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Interference, Availability and Pirate Radio.
Accessibility complaints
84 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning on TV | 32 | 38.1% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 11 | 13.1% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 10 | 11.9% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 9 | 10.7% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 2 | 2.4% |
| Video Description | 2 | 2.4% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Closed Captioning on TV, Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) and Emergency Information on TV.
Emergency complaints
49 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 23 | 46.9% |
| Other | 21 | 42.9% |
| Phone | 3 | 6.1% |
| Tower | 2 | 4.1% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Interference and Other, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Unwanted calls
There were 12443 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 51.9% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact number details are listed below where there is enough concentration to make the data meaningful.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (719) 452-8970 | 28 | 0.2% |
| (251) 451-0954 | 21 | 0.2% |
| (315) 232-8257 | 15 | 0.1% |
| (209) 407-3907 | 13 | 0.1% |
| (754) 333-0001 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (888) 662-0495 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (206) 508-4051 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (800) 536-3726 | 6 | 0.0% |
| (901) 453-4857 | 6 | 0.0% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (315) 232-8257 | 174 | 1.4% |
| (833) 304-1447 | 37 | 0.3% |
| (719) 452-8970 | 28 | 0.2% |
| (251) 451-0954 | 20 | 0.2% |
| (714) 694-7603 | 20 | 0.2% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 19 | 0.2% |
| (999) 999-9999 | 18 | 0.1% |
| (754) 333-0001 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (314) 858-5072 | 6 | 0.0% |
| (800) 536-3726 | 5 | 0.0% |
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.