FCC Consumer Complaints – 23 December 2020

Introduction

The Federal Communications Commission recorded 727 consumer complaints on Wednesday, 23 December 2020 relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume fell from 788 complaints the day before. Complaints were reported across 52 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 375 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
727
States & territories reporting
52
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (375)
Most reported state/territory
California (101)

Where the complaints came from

A total of 727 complaints were recorded on 23 December 2020, with reports originating from 513 cities in 52 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.

The table below summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory on this date, ordered by total reports.

State/Territory Complaints
California 101 13.9%
Texas 62 8.5%
New York 51 7.0%
Florida 39 5.4%
Ohio 30 4.1%
New Jersey 26 3.6%
Colorado 25 3.4%
Pennsylvania 25 3.4%
Michigan 24 3.3%
Virginia 23 3.2%
Other states and territories 320 44.0%

Location highlight

Complaints in California were reported across 72 cities, the widest spread observed on this date.

What the complaints were about

The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 7 complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 505 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 505 69.5%
Internet 131 18.0%
TV 74 10.2%
Radio 10 1.4%
Accessibility 4 0.6%
Emergency 2 0.3%
Request for Dispute Assistance 1 0.1%

Phone complaints

505 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 69.5% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 375 74.3%
Billing 44 8.7%
Availability (including rural call completion) 32 6.3%
Equipment 15 3.0%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 15 3.0%
Privacy 13 2.6%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 4 0.8%
Junk Faxes 4 0.8%
Interference (including signal jammers) 3 0.6%

Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment among the most common.

Internet complaints

131 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 18.0% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 44 33.6%
Billing 44 33.6%
Interference 17 13.0%
Equipment 11 8.4%
Speed 11 8.4%
Privacy 4 3.1%

Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.

TV complaints

74 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.2% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 36 48.6%
Availability 18 24.3%
Loud Commercials 7 9.5%
Equipment 6 8.1%
Indecency 4 5.4%
Privacy 2 2.7%
Interference 1 1.4%

Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.

Page last updated: 24 December 2020 with FCC complaints data from 23 December 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.