FCC Consumer Complaints – 31 July 2021

Introduction

A total of 342 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on 31 July 2021, complaint volume fell from 859 complaints the day before. The complaints came from 44 states and territories, with Texas reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 160 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
342
States & territories reporting
44
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (160)
Most reported state/territory
Texas (44)

Where the complaints came from

Reports recorded on 31 July 2021 show 342 complaints originating from 259 cities across 44 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. 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
Texas 44 12.9%
California 37 10.8%
Florida 34 9.9%
Arizona 16 4.7%
New York 16 4.7%
Tennessee 15 4.4%
Ohio 14 4.1%
Virginia 13 3.8%
North Carolina 12 3.5%
Georgia 11 3.2%
Other states and territories 130 38.0%

What the complaints were about

A total of 6 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. Phone was the most reported category, with 239 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 239 69.9%
Internet 60 17.5%
TV 32 9.4%
Radio 6 1.8%
Emergency 3 0.9%
Accessibility 2 0.6%

Phone complaints

239 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 69.9% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 160 66.9%
Availability (including rural call completion) 20 8.4%
Billing 20 8.4%
Equipment 15 6.3%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 10 4.2%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 6 2.5%
Interference (including signal jammers) 4 1.7%
Privacy 4 1.7%

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 Availability (including rural call completion), Billing and Equipment.

Internet complaints

60 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 17.5% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 18 30.0%
Availability 15 25.0%
Speed 11 18.3%
Interference 7 11.7%
Privacy 7 11.7%
Equipment 2 3.3%

The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.

TV complaints

32 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.4% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 11 34.4%
Billing 11 34.4%
Indecency 4 12.5%
Equipment 3 9.4%
Loud Commercials 2 6.3%
Privacy 1 3.1%

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

Page last updated: 1 August 2021 with FCC complaints data from 31 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.