FCC Consumer Complaints – March 2021
Introduction
In March 2021, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 30842 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this was higher than the 24567 complaints recorded the previous month. The complaints came from 56 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 18379 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 30842
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 56
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (18379)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (3782)
Daily complaint activity
Daily complaint activity averaged 994.9 complaints per day during the month. The busiest day was 18 March 2021, when 1456 complaints were recorded, and 23 days were above the monthly daily average. The lowest daily total was 305 complaints on 28 March 2021, well below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded in March 2021 show 30842 complaints originating from 6314 cities across 56 states and territories. The distribution of complaints was relatively even, with no single state or territory contributing a dominant share. Despite the overall distribution, a notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 153 of the 158 complaints recorded in the state.
The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this month, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 3782 | 12.3% |
| Florida | 2613 | 8.5% |
| Texas | 2609 | 8.5% |
| New York | 1758 | 5.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 1087 | 3.5% |
| Virginia | 1059 | 3.4% |
| Ohio | 1034 | 3.4% |
| North Carolina | 934 | 3.0% |
| Georgia | 926 | 3.0% |
| Michigan | 880 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 14058 | 45.6% |
Location highlights
- Washington accounted for nearly all complaints recorded in District of Columbia.
- Complaints in California were reported across 647 cities, the widest spread observed during the month.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the month were spread across 8 complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 22819 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 22819 | 74.0% |
| Internet | 3996 | 13.0% |
| TV | 3497 | 11.3% |
| Radio | 350 | 1.1% |
| Accessibility | 80 | 0.3% |
| Emergency | 54 | 0.2% |
| Broadband Story | 35 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 11 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
22819 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 74.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 18379 | 80.5% |
| Billing | 1538 | 6.7% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 970 | 4.3% |
| Equipment | 703 | 3.1% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 338 | 1.5% |
| Privacy | 303 | 1.3% |
| Junk Faxes | 222 | 1.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 174 | 0.8% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 164 | 0.7% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 25 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 3 | 0.0% |
As is typical for this category, unwanted calls accounted for the largest share of complaints. A more detailed analysis of these reports is provided in the section 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
3996 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 13.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 1503 | 37.6% |
| Billing | 1110 | 27.8% |
| Speed | 669 | 16.7% |
| Interference | 334 | 8.4% |
| Equipment | 202 | 5.1% |
| Privacy | 178 | 4.5% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
3497 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 11.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Indecency | 1363 | 39.0% |
| Billing | 897 | 25.7% |
| Availability | 676 | 19.3% |
| Loud Commercials | 370 | 10.6% |
| Equipment | 99 | 2.8% |
| Interference | 56 | 1.6% |
| Privacy | 35 | 1.0% |
Indecency and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Radio complaints
350 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 88 | 25.1% |
| Availability | 76 | 21.7% |
| Indecency | 74 | 21.1% |
| Pirate Radio | 67 | 19.1% |
| Billing | 22 | 6.3% |
| Equipment | 14 | 4.0% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 9 | 2.6% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Interference, Availability and Indecency among the most common.
Accessibility complaints
80 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning on TV | 31 | 38.8% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 14 | 17.5% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 12 | 15.0% |
| Video Description | 9 | 11.3% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 1 | 1.3% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 1 | 1.3% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Closed Captioning on TV, Closed Captioning over the Internet and Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) among the most common.
Emergency complaints
54 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 26 | 48.1% |
| Other | 13 | 24.1% |
| Tower | 9 | 16.7% |
| Phone | 5 | 9.3% |
Interference and Other were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Broadband Story complaints
35 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|
Unwanted calls
A total of 18379 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 59.6% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact numbers are shown below where sufficient data is available.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (719) 452-8970 | 25 | 0.1% |
| (973) 657-5158 | 21 | 0.1% |
| (562) 529-4299 | 8 | 0.0% |
| (307) 207-6674 | 7 | 0.0% |
| (307) 777-2074 | 7 | 0.0% |
| (833) 304-1447 | 7 | 0.0% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 6 | 0.0% |
| (800) 892-4357 | 6 | 0.0% |
| (315) 232-8257 | 5 | 0.0% |
| (608) 371-6666 | 5 | 0.0% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (315) 232-8257 | 193 | 1.1% |
| (833) 304-1447 | 152 | 0.8% |
| (719) 452-8970 | 26 | 0.1% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 25 | 0.1% |
| (973) 657-5158 | 21 | 0.1% |
| (714) 694-7603 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (866) 475-1720 | 8 | 0.0% |
| (888) 218-0804 | 7 | 0.0% |
| (888) 399-8934 | 7 | 0.0% |
| (201) 468-8576 | 6 | 0.0% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (315) 232-8257 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- (719) 452-8970 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.