FCC Consumer Complaints – 22 December 2020
Introduction
On Tuesday, 22 December 2020, 788 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was higher than the 724 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 52 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 434 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 788
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (434)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (86)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 788 complaints were recorded on 22 December 2020, with reports originating from 538 cities in 52 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. At the city level, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share of the total.
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 | 86 | 10.9% |
| Texas | 72 | 9.1% |
| New York | 55 | 7.0% |
| Florida | 51 | 6.5% |
| Virginia | 33 | 4.2% |
| Ohio | 32 | 4.1% |
| Illinois | 31 | 3.9% |
| North Carolina | 27 | 3.4% |
| Massachusetts | 24 | 3.0% |
| New Jersey | 24 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 350 | 44.4% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 6 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 577 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 577 | 73.2% |
| Internet | 124 | 15.7% |
| TV | 74 | 9.4% |
| Radio | 7 | 0.9% |
| Accessibility | 4 | 0.5% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.3% |
Phone complaints
577 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 73.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 434 | 75.2% |
| Billing | 53 | 9.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 33 | 5.7% |
| Equipment | 21 | 3.6% |
| Privacy | 13 | 2.3% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 8 | 1.4% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 7 | 1.2% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 4 | 0.7% |
| Junk Faxes | 2 | 0.3% |
| Rural Call Completion | 2 | 0.3% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail 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
124 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 44 | 35.5% |
| Billing | 40 | 32.3% |
| Interference | 13 | 10.5% |
| Speed | 13 | 10.5% |
| Privacy | 8 | 6.5% |
| Equipment | 6 | 4.8% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
74 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 28 | 37.8% |
| Availability | 26 | 35.1% |
| Loud Commercials | 7 | 9.5% |
| Indecency | 6 | 8.1% |
| Equipment | 4 | 5.4% |
| Interference | 2 | 2.7% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.4% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
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.