FCC Consumer Complaints – 4 December 2020
Introduction
On Friday, 4 December 2020, 1135 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was lower than the 1245 complaints recorded the previous day. Reports were received from 51 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 610 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1135
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (610)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (154)
Where the complaints came from
On 4 December 2020, the 1135 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 738 cities across 51 states and territories. The distribution of complaints was relatively even, with no single state or territory contributing a dominant share. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.
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 | 154 | 13.6% |
| Florida | 81 | 7.1% |
| Texas | 80 | 7.0% |
| New York | 75 | 6.6% |
| Pennsylvania | 46 | 4.1% |
| Georgia | 45 | 4.0% |
| Virginia | 43 | 3.8% |
| Wisconsin | 40 | 3.5% |
| Washington | 37 | 3.3% |
| Colorado | 36 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 497 | 43.8% |
What the complaints were about
A total of 7 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 769 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 769 | 67.8% |
| Internet | 186 | 16.4% |
| TV | 159 | 14.0% |
| Radio | 11 | 1.0% |
| Accessibility | 4 | 0.4% |
| Emergency | 3 | 0.3% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 3 | 0.3% |
Phone complaints
769 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 67.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 610 | 79.3% |
| Billing | 55 | 7.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 42 | 5.5% |
| Equipment | 25 | 3.3% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 15 | 2.0% |
| Privacy | 7 | 0.9% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 6 | 0.8% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 5 | 0.7% |
| Junk Faxes | 3 | 0.4% |
| Rural Call Completion | 1 | 0.1% |
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 Equipment.
Internet complaints
186 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 16.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 57 | 30.6% |
| Availability | 51 | 27.4% |
| Interference | 30 | 16.1% |
| Speed | 24 | 12.9% |
| Equipment | 18 | 9.7% |
| Privacy | 6 | 3.2% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Interference.
TV complaints
159 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 14.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 77 | 48.4% |
| Billing | 35 | 22.0% |
| Loud Commercials | 16 | 10.1% |
| Indecency | 14 | 8.8% |
| Equipment | 10 | 6.3% |
| Interference | 7 | 4.4% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
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.