FCC Consumer Complaints – 9 February 2021
Introduction
On Tuesday, 9 February 2021, 1140 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented an increase from the 997 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 51 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 698 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1140
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (698)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (115)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 9 February 2021 show 1140 complaints originating from 742 cities across 51 states and territories. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 115 | 10.1% |
| Texas | 110 | 9.6% |
| Florida | 91 | 8.0% |
| New York | 68 | 6.0% |
| Pennsylvania | 57 | 5.0% |
| Colorado | 47 | 4.1% |
| Washington | 43 | 3.8% |
| Ohio | 42 | 3.7% |
| Arizona | 39 | 3.4% |
| Illinois | 39 | 3.4% |
| Other states and territories | 489 | 42.9% |
What the complaints were about
A total of 6 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 860 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 860 | 75.4% |
| Internet | 137 | 12.0% |
| TV | 121 | 10.6% |
| Radio | 15 | 1.3% |
| Accessibility | 5 | 0.4% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
860 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 75.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 698 | 81.2% |
| Billing | 66 | 7.7% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 25 | 2.9% |
| Equipment | 17 | 2.0% |
| Privacy | 14 | 1.6% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 11 | 1.3% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 10 | 1.2% |
| Junk Faxes | 9 | 1.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 8 | 0.9% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 2 | 0.2% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided 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
137 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 46 | 33.6% |
| Billing | 43 | 31.4% |
| Speed | 26 | 19.0% |
| Interference | 10 | 7.3% |
| Equipment | 7 | 5.1% |
| Privacy | 5 | 3.6% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
121 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 53 | 43.8% |
| Loud Commercials | 21 | 17.4% |
| Availability | 20 | 16.5% |
| Indecency | 19 | 15.7% |
| Equipment | 6 | 5.0% |
| Interference | 1 | 0.8% |
| Privacy | 1 | 0.8% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Loud Commercials, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Unwanted calls
698 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 61.2% of all complaints. Reports referenced both caller ID numbers and business contact numbers, with number tables shown where meaningful patterns are present.
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (315) 232-8257 | 10 | 1.4% |
| (330) 278-0684 | 5 | 0.7% |
| (512) 399-2418 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (614) 524-4661 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (703) 314-9902 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (719) 315-6105 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (754) 802-8965 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (844) 891-5237 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (860) 400-3730 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (951) 413-0921 | 2 | 0.3% |
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.
- 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.