FCC Consumer Complaints – May 2021
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 24518 consumer complaints in May 2021 relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 27313 complaints recorded the month before. The complaints came from 56 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 14698 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 24518
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 56
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (14698)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (2918)
Daily complaint activity
Daily complaint activity averaged 790.9 complaints per day during the month. The busiest day was 26 May 2021, when 1168 complaints were recorded, and 20 days were above the monthly daily average. The lowest daily total was 225 complaints on 9 May 2021, well below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
The 24518 complaints recorded in May 2021 originated from 5441 cities across 56 states and territories. The distribution of complaints was relatively even, with no single state or territory contributing a dominant share. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 105 of the 117 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 | 2918 | 11.9% |
| Texas | 2246 | 9.2% |
| Florida | 2013 | 8.2% |
| New York | 1303 | 5.3% |
| North Carolina | 1149 | 4.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 953 | 3.9% |
| Ohio | 814 | 3.3% |
| Georgia | 800 | 3.3% |
| Virginia | 721 | 2.9% |
| Colorado | 700 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 10845 | 44.2% |
Location highlight
Complaints in District of Columbia were heavily concentrated in Washington, which accounted for the majority of reports within the state.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the month were spread across 8 complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 18671 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 18671 | 76.2% |
| Internet | 3416 | 13.9% |
| TV | 1733 | 7.1% |
| Radio | 332 | 1.4% |
| Broadband Story | 235 | 1.0% |
| Emergency | 66 | 0.3% |
| Accessibility | 52 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 13 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
18671 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 76.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 14698 | 78.7% |
| Billing | 1371 | 7.3% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 867 | 4.6% |
| Equipment | 611 | 3.3% |
| Privacy | 281 | 1.5% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 273 | 1.5% |
| Junk Faxes | 243 | 1.3% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 165 | 0.9% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 128 | 0.7% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 31 | 0.2% |
| Rural Call Completion | 3 | 0.0% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided 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
3416 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 13.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 1165 | 34.1% |
| Billing | 1108 | 32.4% |
| Speed | 545 | 16.0% |
| Interference | 247 | 7.2% |
| Equipment | 203 | 5.9% |
| Privacy | 148 | 4.3% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
1733 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 7.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 596 | 34.4% |
| Availability | 405 | 23.4% |
| Loud Commercials | 367 | 21.2% |
| Indecency | 197 | 11.4% |
| Equipment | 92 | 5.3% |
| Interference | 49 | 2.8% |
| Privacy | 27 | 1.6% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability and Loud Commercials among the most common.
Radio complaints
332 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 112 | 33.7% |
| Availability | 72 | 21.7% |
| Indecency | 66 | 19.9% |
| Pirate Radio | 48 | 14.5% |
| Billing | 17 | 5.1% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 11 | 3.3% |
| Equipment | 6 | 1.8% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Interference, Availability and Indecency among the most common.
Broadband Story complaints
235 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|
Emergency complaints
66 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 27 | 40.9% |
| Interference | 24 | 36.4% |
| Tower | 10 | 15.2% |
| Phone | 5 | 7.6% |
Other and Interference accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Accessibility complaints
52 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 17 | 32.7% |
| Closed Captioning on TV | 11 | 21.2% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 10 | 19.2% |
| Video Description | 4 | 7.7% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 2 | 3.8% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 1 | 1.9% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 1 | 1.9% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS), Closed Captioning on TV and Closed Captioning over the Internet among the most common.
Unwanted calls
14698 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 59.9% of all complaints. Reports referenced both caller ID numbers and business contact numbers, with number tables shown where meaningful patterns are present.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (609) 710-9860 | 32 | 0.2% |
| (478) 910-6517 | 25 | 0.2% |
| (410) 645-6029 | 23 | 0.2% |
| (559) 463-1229 | 18 | 0.1% |
| (559) 531-7264 | 17 | 0.1% |
| (410) 214-9248 | 16 | 0.1% |
| (410) 645-6049 | 16 | 0.1% |
| (559) 471-1088 | 16 | 0.1% |
| (559) 471-1085 | 15 | 0.1% |
| (559) 694-9604 | 15 | 0.1% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (833) 304-1447 | 238 | 1.6% |
| (866) 202-4955 | 196 | 1.3% |
| (315) 232-8257 | 72 | 0.5% |
| (866) 204-4885 | 34 | 0.2% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 20 | 0.1% |
| (843) 390-5035 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (877) 287-1090 | 7 | 0.0% |
| (908) 446-0032 | 7 | 0.0% |
| (951) 453-9816 | 7 | 0.0% |
| (970) 441-5206 | 7 | 0.0% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (833) 304-1447 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- (609) 710-9860 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.