FCC Consumer Complaints – 29 December 2020
Introduction
On 29 December 2020, 829 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, complaint volume increased from 774 complaints the previous day. The complaints came from 48 states and territories, with New York reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 400 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 829
- States & territories reporting
- 48
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (400)
- Most reported state/territory
- New York (83)
Where the complaints came from
On 29 December 2020, the 829 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 568 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 | |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 83 | 10.0% |
| California | 61 | 7.4% |
| Florida | 61 | 7.4% |
| Texas | 61 | 7.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 38 | 4.6% |
| Arizona | 37 | 4.5% |
| Virginia | 31 | 3.7% |
| Georgia | 28 | 3.4% |
| New Jersey | 28 | 3.4% |
| Ohio | 27 | 3.3% |
| Other states and territories | 373 | 45.0% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 4 complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 576 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 576 | 69.5% |
| Internet | 156 | 18.8% |
| TV | 83 | 10.0% |
| Radio | 14 | 1.7% |
Phone complaints
576 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 69.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 400 | 69.4% |
| Billing | 64 | 11.1% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 37 | 6.4% |
| Equipment | 27 | 4.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 19 | 3.3% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 11 | 1.9% |
| Privacy | 10 | 1.7% |
| Junk Faxes | 4 | 0.7% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 2 | 0.3% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 2 | 0.3% |
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
156 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 18.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 54 | 34.6% |
| Availability | 52 | 33.3% |
| Interference | 20 | 12.8% |
| Speed | 18 | 11.5% |
| Equipment | 9 | 5.8% |
| Privacy | 3 | 1.9% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
83 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 34 | 41.0% |
| Availability | 29 | 34.9% |
| Loud Commercials | 9 | 10.8% |
| Indecency | 5 | 6.0% |
| Equipment | 4 | 4.8% |
| Interference | 2 | 2.4% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, 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.