FCC Consumer Complaints – 14 April 2021
Introduction
On 14 April 2021, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1270 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this was lower than the 1517 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 50 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 769 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1270
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (769)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (170)
Where the complaints came from
On 14 April 2021, the 1270 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 738 cities across 50 states and territories. Activity was spread across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a substantial share of complaints. At the city level, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share of the total.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 170 | 13.4% |
| Texas | 111 | 8.7% |
| Florida | 90 | 7.1% |
| New York | 80 | 6.3% |
| Colorado | 60 | 4.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 44 | 3.5% |
| North Carolina | 41 | 3.2% |
| Illinois | 39 | 3.1% |
| Arizona | 36 | 2.8% |
| Georgia | 35 | 2.8% |
| Other states and territories | 563 | 44.3% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 6 complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 923 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 923 | 72.7% |
| Broadband Story | 122 | 9.6% |
| Internet | 116 | 9.1% |
| TV | 102 | 8.0% |
| Radio | 6 | 0.5% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
923 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 72.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 769 | 83.3% |
| Billing | 57 | 6.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 32 | 3.5% |
| Equipment | 19 | 2.1% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 14 | 1.5% |
| Privacy | 11 | 1.2% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 9 | 1.0% |
| Junk Faxes | 7 | 0.8% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 4 | 0.4% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 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. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
Broadband Story complaints
122 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|
Internet complaints
116 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 43 | 37.1% |
| Billing | 32 | 27.6% |
| Speed | 24 | 20.7% |
| Interference | 7 | 6.0% |
| Privacy | 6 | 5.2% |
| Equipment | 4 | 3.4% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
102 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 40 | 39.2% |
| Availability | 26 | 25.5% |
| Indecency | 19 | 18.6% |
| Interference | 8 | 7.8% |
| Loud Commercials | 5 | 4.9% |
| Equipment | 2 | 2.0% |
| Privacy | 2 | 2.0% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Unwanted calls
There were 769 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 60.6% 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 | 9 | 1.2% |
| (667) 260-6898 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (714) 694-7603 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (757) 899-9036 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (828) 513-9852 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (866) 491-3534 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (201) 701-9341 | 1 | 0.1% |
| (202) 558-4797 | 1 | 0.1% |
| (202) 558-4814 | 1 | 0.1% |
| (203) 295-7391 | 1 | 0.1% |
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.
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.