FCC Consumer Complaints – 26 February 2021

Introduction

On 26 February 2021, 1077 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented a decline from the 1144 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 49 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 647 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
1077
States & territories reporting
49
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (647)
Most reported state/territory
California (126)

Where the complaints came from

A total of 1077 complaints were recorded on 26 February 2021, with reports originating from 723 cities in 49 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. 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 126 11.7%
Texas 93 8.6%
Florida 70 6.5%
New York 60 5.6%
Georgia 47 4.4%
Ohio 43 4.0%
Pennsylvania 41 3.8%
Virginia 36 3.3%
New Jersey 35 3.2%
Maryland 34 3.2%
Other states and territories 486 45.1%

What the complaints were about

A total of 6 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 810 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 810 75.2%
Internet 158 14.7%
TV 78 7.2%
Radio 23 2.1%
Accessibility 4 0.4%
Emergency 4 0.4%

Phone complaints

810 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 75.2% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 647 79.9%
Billing 62 7.7%
Availability (including rural call completion) 35 4.3%
Equipment 23 2.8%
Privacy 15 1.9%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 8 1.0%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 7 0.9%
Interference (including signal jammers) 6 0.7%
Junk Faxes 6 0.7%
Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) 1 0.1%

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 Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.

Internet complaints

158 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 14.7% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 57 36.1%
Billing 42 26.6%
Speed 26 16.5%
Interference 21 13.3%
Equipment 8 5.1%
Privacy 4 2.5%

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

TV complaints

78 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.2% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 26 33.3%
Availability 20 25.6%
Loud Commercials 19 24.4%
Indecency 6 7.7%
Equipment 4 5.1%
Interference 3 3.8%

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

Unwanted calls

There were 647 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 60.1% 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
(833) 304-1447 8 1.2%
(315) 232-8257 4 0.6%
(855) 855-0097 3 0.5%
(469) 715-0953 2 0.3%
(707) 995-6937 2 0.3%
(973) 657-5158 2 0.3%
(201) 761-6504 1 0.2%
(202) 618-9050 1 0.2%
(202) 670-6185 1 0.2%
(202) 870-5707 1 0.2%

Key patterns

  • Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
  • (833) 304-1447 stood out as the most frequently reported business contact number.
  • Reports were spread across many different caller ID numbers, with no single number dominating.
Page last updated: 27 February 2021 with FCC complaints data from 26 February 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.