FCC Consumer Complaints – 18 July 2021

Introduction

On Sunday, 18 July 2021, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 272 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume fell from 349 complaints the day before. Reports were received from 41 states and territories, with Texas recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 124 complaints recorded.

Key statistics

Total complaints
272
States & territories reporting
41
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (124)
Most reported state/territory
Texas (32)

Where the complaints came from

A total of 272 complaints were recorded on 18 July 2021, with reports originating from 212 cities in 41 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.

The table below summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory on this date, ordered by total reports.

State/Territory Complaints
Texas 32 11.8%
California 24 8.8%
Florida 22 8.1%
New York 22 8.1%
Ohio 17 6.3%
New Jersey 12 4.4%
Arizona 11 4.0%
Colorado 11 4.0%
District of Columbia 9 3.3%
Oklahoma 7 2.6%
Other states and territories 105 38.6%

Location highlight

Complaints in Texas were reported across 25 cities, the widest spread observed on this date.

What the complaints were about

A total of 6 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 176 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 176 64.7%
Internet 53 19.5%
TV 34 12.5%
Radio 5 1.8%
Emergency 3 1.1%
Accessibility 1 0.4%

Phone complaints

176 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 64.7% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 124 70.5%
Availability (including rural call completion) 15 8.5%
Billing 13 7.4%
Equipment 7 4.0%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 7 4.0%
Privacy 5 2.8%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 3 1.7%
Interference (including signal jammers) 1 0.6%
Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) 1 0.6%

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 Availability (including rural call completion), Billing and Equipment among the most common.

Internet complaints

53 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 19.5% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 22 41.5%
Billing 18 34.0%
Equipment 4 7.5%
Speed 4 7.5%
Interference 3 5.7%
Privacy 2 3.8%

Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.

TV complaints

34 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.5% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 10 29.4%
Billing 10 29.4%
Loud Commercials 10 29.4%
Indecency 3 8.8%
Privacy 1 2.9%

A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Availability, Billing and Loud Commercials among the most common.

Page last updated: 19 July 2021 with FCC complaints data from 18 July 2021.

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.