FCC Consumer Complaints – 1 May 2021
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 497 consumer complaints on 1 May 2021 relating to telecommunications services, this was lower than the 949 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 49 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 203 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 497
- States & territories reporting
- 49
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (203)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (56)
Where the complaints came from
On 1 May 2021, the 497 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 363 cities across 49 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 56 | 11.3% |
| Texas | 53 | 10.7% |
| Florida | 37 | 7.4% |
| Georgia | 22 | 4.4% |
| New York | 19 | 3.8% |
| Ohio | 19 | 3.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 16 | 3.2% |
| Virginia | 16 | 3.2% |
| Washington | 16 | 3.2% |
| Tennessee | 15 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 228 | 45.9% |
What the complaints were about
A total of 7 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 277 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 277 | 55.7% |
| Internet | 156 | 31.4% |
| TV | 43 | 8.7% |
| Broadband Story | 10 | 2.0% |
| Radio | 8 | 1.6% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.4% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
277 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 55.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 203 | 73.3% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 25 | 9.0% |
| Billing | 19 | 6.9% |
| Equipment | 10 | 3.6% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 6 | 2.2% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 6 | 2.2% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 6 | 2.2% |
| Privacy | 2 | 0.7% |
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 Availability (including rural call completion), Billing and Equipment.
Internet complaints
156 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 31.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 47 | 30.1% |
| Speed | 43 | 27.6% |
| Billing | 30 | 19.2% |
| Interference | 22 | 14.1% |
| Equipment | 11 | 7.1% |
| Privacy | 3 | 1.9% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Availability, Speed and Billing.
TV complaints
43 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 16 | 37.2% |
| Availability | 10 | 23.3% |
| Indecency | 9 | 20.9% |
| Loud Commercials | 6 | 14.0% |
| Equipment | 1 | 2.3% |
| Interference | 1 | 2.3% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
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.