FCC Consumer Complaints – 9 January 2021

Introduction

The Federal Communications Commission recorded 474 consumer complaints on Saturday, 9 January 2021 relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 907 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 49 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 216 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
474
States & territories reporting
49
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (216)
Most reported state/territory
California (65)

Where the complaints came from

The 474 complaints recorded on 9 January 2021 originated from 364 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 shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this date, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.

State/Territory Complaints
California 65 13.7%
Texas 44 9.3%
Florida 30 6.3%
New York 20 4.2%
Georgia 19 4.0%
Illinois 19 4.0%
Colorado 18 3.8%
Virginia 18 3.8%
Pennsylvania 17 3.6%
Ohio 16 3.4%
Other states and territories 208 43.9%

What the complaints were about

The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 6 complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 282 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 282 59.5%
Internet 100 21.1%
TV 71 15.0%
Radio 16 3.4%
Accessibility 3 0.6%
Emergency 2 0.4%

Phone complaints

282 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 59.5% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 216 76.6%
Availability (including rural call completion) 18 6.4%
Billing 18 6.4%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 9 3.2%
Equipment 6 2.1%
Privacy 5 1.8%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 3 1.1%
Interference (including signal jammers) 3 1.1%
Junk Faxes 2 0.7%
Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) 2 0.7%

Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Availability (including rural call completion), Billing and Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers).

Internet complaints

100 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 21.1% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 36 36.0%
Billing 28 28.0%
Speed 16 16.0%
Interference 9 9.0%
Privacy 6 6.0%
Equipment 5 5.0%

Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.

TV complaints

71 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.0% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 20 28.2%
Indecency 20 28.2%
Billing 18 25.4%
Loud Commercials 9 12.7%
Interference 2 2.8%
Equipment 1 1.4%
Privacy 1 1.4%

Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Availability, Indecency and Billing.

Page last updated: 10 January 2021 with FCC complaints data from 9 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.