FCC Consumer Complaints – 2021
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 290685 consumer complaints in 2021 relating to telecommunications services. The complaints came from 56 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 163264 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 290685
- Months with complaint data
- 12
- Months with complaints
- 12
- Days with complaint data
- 365
- Days with complaints
- 365
- States & territories reporting
- 56
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (163264)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (34455)
Monthly complaint activity
Monthly complaint activity averaged 24223.8 complaints per month during the year. The busiest month was March 2021, when 30842 complaints were recorded, and 7 months were above the yearly monthly average.
Each bar represents one month of the year. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
The 290685 complaints recorded in 2021 originated from 16839 cities across 56 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. At the city level, a significant concentration was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 1214 of the 1324 complaints recorded.
The table below summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory during the year, ordered by total reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 34455 | 11.9% |
| Texas | 24891 | 8.6% |
| Florida | 22419 | 7.7% |
| New York | 17790 | 6.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 10356 | 3.6% |
| North Carolina | 9709 | 3.3% |
| Ohio | 9700 | 3.3% |
| Georgia | 9470 | 3.3% |
| Illinois | 8843 | 3.0% |
| Virginia | 8682 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 133641 | 46.0% |
Location highlight
Nearly all complaints reported in District of Columbia originated from Washington.
What the complaints were about
A total of 8 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded during the year. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 213427 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 213427 | 73.4% |
| Internet | 42892 | 14.8% |
| TV | 25137 | 8.6% |
| Radio | 4009 | 1.4% |
| Broadband Story | 2864 | 1.0% |
| Accessibility | 1415 | 0.5% |
| Emergency | 717 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 224 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
213427 complaints were recorded in this category during the year, representing 73.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 163264 | 76.5% |
| Billing | 16234 | 7.6% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 11983 | 5.6% |
| Equipment | 8096 | 3.8% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 4251 | 2.0% |
| Privacy | 3194 | 1.5% |
| Junk Faxes | 2226 | 1.0% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 2097 | 1.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 1686 | 0.8% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 304 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 59 | 0.0% |
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. 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
42892 complaints were recorded in this category during the year, representing 14.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 15389 | 35.9% |
| Billing | 14126 | 32.9% |
| Speed | 5652 | 13.2% |
| Interference | 3164 | 7.4% |
| Equipment | 2442 | 5.7% |
| Privacy | 2117 | 4.9% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
25137 complaints were recorded in this category during the year, representing 8.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 7993 | 31.8% |
| Availability | 6339 | 25.2% |
| Indecency | 4628 | 18.4% |
| Loud Commercials | 3942 | 15.7% |
| Equipment | 1228 | 4.9% |
| Interference | 698 | 2.8% |
| Privacy | 283 | 1.1% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability and Indecency among the most common.
Radio complaints
4009 complaints were recorded in this category during the year, representing 1.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 1164 | 29.0% |
| Availability | 867 | 21.6% |
| Indecency | 830 | 20.7% |
| Pirate Radio | 658 | 16.4% |
| Billing | 188 | 4.7% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 169 | 4.2% |
| Equipment | 128 | 3.2% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Interference, Availability and Indecency among the most common.
Accessibility complaints
1415 complaints were recorded in this category during the year, representing 0.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 563 | 39.8% |
| Closed Captioning on TV | 322 | 22.8% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 245 | 17.3% |
| Video Description | 79 | 5.6% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 33 | 2.3% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 10 | 0.7% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 8 | 0.6% |
Closed Captioning over the Internet and Closed Captioning on TV accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Emergency complaints
717 complaints were recorded in this category during the year, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 306 | 42.7% |
| Other | 241 | 33.6% |
| Phone | 98 | 13.7% |
| Tower | 71 | 9.9% |
Interference and Other accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
163264 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 56.2% of all complaints. Reports referenced both caller ID numbers and business contact numbers, with number tables shown where meaningful patterns are present.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (719) 452-8970 | 118 | 0.1% |
| (510) 264-7564 | 82 | 0.1% |
| (877) 864-4566 | 51 | 0.0% |
| (866) 883-4452 | 48 | 0.0% |
| (315) 232-8257 | 46 | 0.0% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 43 | 0.0% |
| (770) 405-8849 | 38 | 0.0% |
| (973) 657-5158 | 37 | 0.0% |
| (817) 409-7795 | 35 | 0.0% |
| (609) 710-9860 | 32 | 0.0% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (833) 304-1447 | 1149 | 0.7% |
| (315) 232-8257 | 959 | 0.6% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 306 | 0.2% |
| (866) 202-4955 | 275 | 0.2% |
| (999) 999-9999 | 154 | 0.1% |
| (714) 694-7603 | 141 | 0.1% |
| (719) 452-8970 | 126 | 0.1% |
| (510) 264-7564 | 81 | 0.0% |
| (469) 694-7084 | 78 | 0.0% |
| (866) 204-4885 | 70 | 0.0% |
Key patterns
- None accounted for the largest share of unwanted call complaints by service type.
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (833) 304-1447 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- (719) 452-8970 was reported slightly more often than other caller ID numbers.
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.