FCC Consumer Complaints – 8 January 2021

Introduction

On 8 January 2021, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 907 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 915 complaints recorded the previous day. The complaints came from 49 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 493 complaints recorded.

Key statistics

Total complaints
907
States & territories reporting
49
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (493)
Most reported state/territory
California (108)

Where the complaints came from

Reports recorded on 8 January 2021 show 907 complaints originating from 645 cities across 49 states and territories. The distribution of complaints was relatively even, with no single state or territory 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 108 11.9%
Florida 74 8.2%
Texas 69 7.6%
New York 54 6.0%
Pennsylvania 35 3.9%
Illinois 34 3.7%
New Jersey 34 3.7%
Ohio 33 3.6%
Maryland 32 3.5%
North Carolina 32 3.5%
Other states and territories 401 44.2%

What the complaints were about

Complaints recorded on this date related to 5 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 662 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 662 73.0%
Internet 126 13.9%
TV 103 11.4%
Radio 15 1.7%
Accessibility 1 0.1%

Phone complaints

662 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 73.0% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 493 74.5%
Billing 57 8.6%
Availability (including rural call completion) 35 5.3%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 22 3.3%
Equipment 21 3.2%
Privacy 13 2.0%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 9 1.4%
Interference (including signal jammers) 8 1.2%
Junk Faxes 3 0.5%
Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) 1 0.2%

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 Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) among the most common.

Internet complaints

126 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 13.9% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 45 35.7%
Billing 44 34.9%
Speed 13 10.3%
Interference 11 8.7%
Equipment 8 6.3%
Privacy 5 4.0%

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

TV complaints

103 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.4% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 34 33.0%
Availability 28 27.2%
Indecency 23 22.3%
Loud Commercials 10 9.7%
Equipment 5 4.9%
Interference 3 2.9%

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

Page last updated: 9 January 2021 with FCC complaints data from 8 January 2021.

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.