FCC Consumer Complaints – 31 December 2020
Introduction
On Thursday, 31 December 2020, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 588 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this was lower than the 710 complaints recorded the previous day. The complaints came from 47 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Unwanted Calls recorded a slightly higher number of complaints than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 588
- States & territories reporting
- 47
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (235)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (58)
Where the complaints came from
The 588 complaints recorded on 31 December 2020 originated from 440 cities across 47 states and territories. Complaints were spread broadly across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a significant share. 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 | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 58 | 9.9% |
| Texas | 56 | 9.5% |
| Florida | 51 | 8.7% |
| New York | 33 | 5.6% |
| Georgia | 29 | 4.9% |
| Ohio | 24 | 4.1% |
| Wisconsin | 23 | 3.9% |
| North Carolina | 22 | 3.7% |
| Virginia | 21 | 3.6% |
| New Jersey | 18 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 250 | 42.5% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 6 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 365 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 365 | 62.1% |
| Internet | 126 | 21.4% |
| TV | 82 | 13.9% |
| Radio | 12 | 2.0% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.3% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
365 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 62.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 235 | 64.4% |
| Billing | 52 | 14.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 28 | 7.7% |
| Equipment | 16 | 4.4% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 12 | 3.3% |
| Privacy | 9 | 2.5% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 5 | 1.4% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 4 | 1.1% |
| Junk Faxes | 4 | 1.1% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided 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
126 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 21.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 44 | 34.9% |
| Availability | 39 | 31.0% |
| Speed | 22 | 17.5% |
| Interference | 11 | 8.7% |
| Privacy | 8 | 6.3% |
| Equipment | 2 | 1.6% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
82 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 13.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 31 | 37.8% |
| Availability | 25 | 30.5% |
| Loud Commercials | 15 | 18.3% |
| Indecency | 5 | 6.1% |
| Equipment | 3 | 3.7% |
| Interference | 3 | 3.7% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
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.