FCC Consumer Complaints – 10 March 2021
Introduction
On Wednesday, 10 March 2021, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1099 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 1108 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 51 states and territories, with Florida recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 700 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1099
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (700)
- Most reported state/territory
- Florida (120)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 1099 complaints were recorded on 10 March 2021, with reports originating from 721 cities in 51 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 | |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | 120 | 10.9% |
| California | 110 | 10.0% |
| Texas | 83 | 7.6% |
| New York | 61 | 5.6% |
| Michigan | 45 | 4.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 42 | 3.8% |
| Colorado | 39 | 3.5% |
| Washington | 37 | 3.4% |
| Illinois | 34 | 3.1% |
| New Jersey | 33 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 491 | 44.7% |
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 856 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 856 | 77.9% |
| Internet | 148 | 13.5% |
| TV | 81 | 7.4% |
| Radio | 10 | 0.9% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
856 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 77.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 700 | 81.8% |
| Billing | 57 | 6.7% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 31 | 3.6% |
| Equipment | 29 | 3.4% |
| Junk Faxes | 11 | 1.3% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 9 | 1.1% |
| Privacy | 9 | 1.1% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 5 | 0.6% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 4 | 0.5% |
| 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. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
Internet complaints
148 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 13.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 49 | 33.1% |
| Billing | 45 | 30.4% |
| Speed | 21 | 14.2% |
| Interference | 14 | 9.5% |
| Privacy | 11 | 7.4% |
| Equipment | 8 | 5.4% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
81 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 37 | 45.7% |
| Indecency | 14 | 17.3% |
| Availability | 11 | 13.6% |
| Loud Commercials | 9 | 11.1% |
| Equipment | 7 | 8.6% |
| Interference | 3 | 3.7% |
Billing and Indecency were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Unwanted calls
A total of 700 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 63.7% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact numbers are shown below where sufficient data is available.
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (555) 555-5555 | 8 | 1.1% |
| (315) 232-8257 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (412) 430-3880 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (818) 521-1769 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (832) 982-2408 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (833) 304-1447 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (202) 280-1860 | 1 | 0.1% |
| (202) 318-3986 | 1 | 0.1% |
| (202) 770-4495 | 1 | 0.1% |
| (203) 780-2906 | 1 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (555) 555-5555 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.