FCC Consumer Complaints – 5 February 2021
Introduction
On 5 February 2021, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1050 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume fell from 1156 complaints the previous day. The complaints came from 51 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 675 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1050
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (675)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (119)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 5 February 2021 show 1050 complaints originating from 685 cities across 51 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. 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 | 119 | 11.3% |
| New York | 82 | 7.8% |
| Florida | 78 | 7.4% |
| Texas | 78 | 7.4% |
| Virginia | 49 | 4.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 47 | 4.5% |
| Illinois | 45 | 4.3% |
| New Jersey | 36 | 3.4% |
| Ohio | 36 | 3.4% |
| Colorado | 34 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 443 | 42.2% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 6 complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 841 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 841 | 80.1% |
| Internet | 108 | 10.3% |
| TV | 83 | 7.9% |
| Radio | 14 | 1.3% |
| Accessibility | 3 | 0.3% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
841 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 80.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 675 | 80.3% |
| Billing | 64 | 7.6% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 35 | 4.2% |
| Equipment | 17 | 2.0% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 17 | 2.0% |
| Privacy | 12 | 1.4% |
| Junk Faxes | 9 | 1.1% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 7 | 0.8% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 2 | 0.2% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 2 | 0.2% |
| Rural Call Completion | 1 | 0.1% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
Internet complaints
108 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 38 | 35.2% |
| Availability | 30 | 27.8% |
| Speed | 16 | 14.8% |
| Interference | 10 | 9.3% |
| Privacy | 9 | 8.3% |
| Equipment | 5 | 4.6% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
83 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 32 | 38.6% |
| Availability | 21 | 25.3% |
| Loud Commercials | 18 | 21.7% |
| Indecency | 7 | 8.4% |
| Equipment | 4 | 4.8% |
| Interference | 1 | 1.2% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
There were 675 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 64.3% 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 business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (917) 923-7913 | 5 | 0.7% |
| (315) 232-8257 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (501) 669-3456 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (716) 922-2187 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (833) 304-1447 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (866) 988-9803 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (910) 372-7341 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (201) 389-1100 | 1 | 0.1% |
| (201) 880-7431 | 1 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (917) 923-7913 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- Reports were spread across many different caller ID numbers, with no single number dominating.
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.