FCC Consumer Complaints – 16 April 2021
Introduction
On 16 April 2021, 1131 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was lower than the 1255 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 49 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 713 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1131
- States & territories reporting
- 49
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (713)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (126)
Where the complaints came from
On 16 April 2021, the 1131 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 683 cities across 49 states and territories. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. Despite the overall distribution, a notable concentration at the city level was observed in Iowa, where Iowa City accounted for 48 of the 53 complaints recorded in the state.
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 | 11.1% |
| Texas | 101 | 8.9% |
| Georgia | 63 | 5.6% |
| Florida | 62 | 5.5% |
| Colorado | 56 | 5.0% |
| New York | 56 | 5.0% |
| Iowa | 53 | 4.7% |
| New Jersey | 39 | 3.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 38 | 3.4% |
| North Carolina | 34 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 502 | 44.4% |
Location highlight
Iowa City accounted for nearly all complaints recorded in Iowa.
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 7 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 857 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 857 | 75.8% |
| Internet | 126 | 11.1% |
| TV | 93 | 8.2% |
| Broadband Story | 33 | 2.9% |
| Radio | 19 | 1.7% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
857 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 75.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 713 | 83.2% |
| Billing | 45 | 5.3% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 27 | 3.2% |
| Equipment | 21 | 2.5% |
| Junk Faxes | 17 | 2.0% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 13 | 1.5% |
| Privacy | 13 | 1.5% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 5 | 0.6% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 2 | 0.2% |
| 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
126 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 37 | 29.4% |
| Availability | 36 | 28.6% |
| Speed | 27 | 21.4% |
| Privacy | 13 | 10.3% |
| Interference | 7 | 5.6% |
| Equipment | 6 | 4.8% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
TV complaints
93 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Indecency | 30 | 32.3% |
| Availability | 28 | 30.1% |
| Billing | 27 | 29.0% |
| Equipment | 4 | 4.3% |
| Loud Commercials | 4 | 4.3% |
Indecency and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Broadband Story complaints
33 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 2.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|
Unwanted calls
A total of 713 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 63% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (833) 304-1447 | 9 | 1.3% |
| (267) 631-9705 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (205) 552-8846 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (325) 669-1790 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (662) 346-2578 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (678) 916-5568 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (833) 721-2351 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (845) 580-4507 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (913) 286-1853 | 2 | 0.3% |
Key patterns
- Abandoned Calls 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.