FCC Consumer Complaints – February 2021
Introduction
A total of 24567 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission in February 2021, this was lower than the 24772 complaints recorded the previous month. The complaints came from 53 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 14810 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 24567
- Days with complaint data
- 28
- Days with complaints
- 28
- States & territories reporting
- 53
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (14810)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (2787)
Daily complaint activity
Daily complaint activity averaged 877.4 complaints per day during the month. The busiest day was 10 February 2021, when 1174 complaints were recorded, and 19 days were above the monthly daily average. The lowest daily total was 297 complaints on 14 February 2021, well below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
In February 2021, the 24567 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 5583 cities across 53 states and territories. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 125 of the 140 complaints recorded in the state.
The monthly distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 2787 | 11.3% |
| Texas | 2112 | 8.6% |
| Florida | 1867 | 7.6% |
| New York | 1472 | 6.0% |
| Virginia | 977 | 4.0% |
| Pennsylvania | 965 | 3.9% |
| Ohio | 812 | 3.3% |
| Illinois | 783 | 3.2% |
| Georgia | 761 | 3.1% |
| North Carolina | 755 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 11196 | 45.6% |
Location highlight
Washington accounted for the majority of complaints recorded in District of Columbia.
What the complaints were about
A total of 7 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded during the month. Phone was the most reported category, with 18358 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 18358 | 74.7% |
| Internet | 3435 | 14.0% |
| TV | 2267 | 9.2% |
| Radio | 327 | 1.3% |
| Accessibility | 110 | 0.4% |
| Emergency | 50 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 20 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
18358 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 74.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 14810 | 80.7% |
| Billing | 1269 | 6.9% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 736 | 4.0% |
| Equipment | 540 | 2.9% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 299 | 1.6% |
| Privacy | 253 | 1.4% |
| Junk Faxes | 160 | 0.9% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 138 | 0.8% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 134 | 0.7% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 17 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 2 | 0.0% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail 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
3435 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 14.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 1155 | 33.6% |
| Billing | 1091 | 31.8% |
| Speed | 546 | 15.9% |
| Interference | 321 | 9.3% |
| Equipment | 163 | 4.7% |
| Privacy | 159 | 4.6% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
2267 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 9.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 823 | 36.3% |
| Availability | 579 | 25.5% |
| Loud Commercials | 454 | 20.0% |
| Indecency | 239 | 10.5% |
| Equipment | 111 | 4.9% |
| Interference | 47 | 2.1% |
| Privacy | 14 | 0.6% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Radio complaints
327 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 98 | 30.0% |
| Availability | 67 | 20.5% |
| Indecency | 62 | 19.0% |
| Pirate Radio | 57 | 17.4% |
| Billing | 20 | 6.1% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 11 | 3.4% |
| Equipment | 11 | 3.4% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Interference, Availability and Indecency.
Accessibility complaints
110 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning on TV | 44 | 40.0% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 26 | 23.6% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 12 | 10.9% |
| Video Description | 11 | 10.0% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 2 | 1.8% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 1 | 0.9% |
Closed Captioning on TV and Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Emergency complaints
50 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 24 | 48.0% |
| Other | 21 | 42.0% |
| Tower | 4 | 8.0% |
| Phone | 1 | 2.0% |
Interference and Other accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
There were 14810 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 60.3% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact number details are listed below where there is enough concentration to make the data meaningful.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (315) 232-8257 | 18 | 0.1% |
| (719) 452-8970 | 17 | 0.1% |
| (973) 657-5158 | 16 | 0.1% |
| (218) 542-8025 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (210) 637-0033 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (310) 202-1712 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (716) 265-4774 | 7 | 0.0% |
| (606) 284-6413 | 6 | 0.0% |
| (901) 617-1368 | 6 | 0.0% |
| (201) 907-1522 | 5 | 0.0% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (315) 232-8257 | 217 | 1.5% |
| (833) 304-1447 | 56 | 0.4% |
| (714) 694-7603 | 39 | 0.3% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 31 | 0.2% |
| (719) 452-8970 | 19 | 0.1% |
| (866) 200-3504 | 17 | 0.1% |
| (999) 999-9999 | 17 | 0.1% |
| (973) 657-5158 | 16 | 0.1% |
| (218) 542-8025 | 13 | 0.1% |
| (210) 637-0033 | 12 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (315) 232-8257 stood out as the most frequently reported business contact number.
- (315) 232-8257 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.