FCC Consumer Complaints – August 2021
Introduction
In August 2021, 24744 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, complaint volume increased from 23628 complaints the month before. Complaints were reported across 54 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 13589 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 24744
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 54
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (13589)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (2952)
Daily complaint activity
Across the month, the FCC recorded an average of 798.2 complaints per day. The highest daily total was 1148 complaints on 18 August 2021, while 22 days recorded more complaints than the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 8 August 2021, with 250 complaints, noticeably below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
In August 2021, the 24744 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 5597 cities across 54 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 94 of the 103 complaints recorded in the state.
The monthly distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 2952 | 11.9% |
| Florida | 1983 | 8.0% |
| Texas | 1958 | 7.9% |
| New York | 1529 | 6.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 878 | 3.5% |
| Georgia | 871 | 3.5% |
| North Carolina | 804 | 3.2% |
| Ohio | 798 | 3.2% |
| Illinois | 759 | 3.1% |
| Arizona | 748 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 11403 | 46.1% |
Location highlight
Complaint activity in District of Columbia was almost entirely concentrated in Washington.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the month were spread across 8 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 18446 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 18446 | 74.5% |
| Internet | 3851 | 15.6% |
| TV | 1878 | 7.6% |
| Radio | 338 | 1.4% |
| Accessibility | 84 | 0.3% |
| Emergency | 76 | 0.3% |
| Broadband Story | 52 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 19 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
18446 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 74.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 13589 | 73.7% |
| Billing | 1400 | 7.6% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 1288 | 7.0% |
| Equipment | 806 | 4.4% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 396 | 2.1% |
| Privacy | 354 | 1.9% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 216 | 1.2% |
| Junk Faxes | 211 | 1.1% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 144 | 0.8% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 37 | 0.2% |
| Rural Call Completion | 5 | 0.0% |
As is typical for this category, unwanted calls accounted for the largest share of complaints. A more detailed analysis of these reports is provided in the section below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
Internet complaints
3851 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 15.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 1370 | 35.6% |
| Billing | 1327 | 34.5% |
| Speed | 464 | 12.0% |
| Equipment | 261 | 6.8% |
| Interference | 256 | 6.6% |
| Privacy | 173 | 4.5% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
1878 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 7.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 551 | 29.3% |
| Availability | 524 | 27.9% |
| Indecency | 318 | 16.9% |
| Loud Commercials | 275 | 14.6% |
| Equipment | 124 | 6.6% |
| Interference | 56 | 3.0% |
| Privacy | 30 | 1.6% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability and Indecency.
Radio complaints
338 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 100 | 29.6% |
| Availability | 70 | 20.7% |
| Indecency | 62 | 18.3% |
| Pirate Radio | 60 | 17.8% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 22 | 6.5% |
| Billing | 13 | 3.8% |
| Equipment | 11 | 3.3% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Interference, Availability and Indecency.
Accessibility complaints
84 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 30 | 35.7% |
| Closed Captioning on TV | 17 | 20.2% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 13 | 15.5% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 9 | 10.7% |
| Video Description | 7 | 8.3% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 1 | 1.2% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 1 | 1.2% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS), Closed Captioning on TV and Closed Captioning over the Internet.
Emergency complaints
76 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 35 | 46.1% |
| Other | 23 | 30.3% |
| Phone | 10 | 13.2% |
| Tower | 8 | 10.5% |
Interference and Other accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Broadband Story complaints
52 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|
Unwanted calls
There were 13589 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 54.9% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact number details are listed below where there is enough concentration to make the data meaningful.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (510) 264-7564 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (866) 883-4452 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (516) 786-2933 | 10 | 0.1% |
| (817) 409-7795 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (949) 989-5905 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (305) 306-1347 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (307) 209-3329 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (321) 212-7852 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (850) 407-5544 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (503) 401-9991 | 6 | 0.0% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (833) 304-1447 | 58 | 0.4% |
| (315) 232-8257 | 52 | 0.4% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 22 | 0.2% |
| (866) 706-1619 | 16 | 0.1% |
| (510) 264-7564 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (866) 883-4452 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (727) 295-4557 | 11 | 0.1% |
| (866) 853-3695 | 10 | 0.1% |
| (999) 999-9999 | 10 | 0.1% |
| (888) 218-0804 | 9 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- None accounted for the largest share of unwanted call complaints by service type.
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (833) 304-1447 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- (510) 264-7564 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.