FCC Consumer Complaints – 14 August 2021
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 410 consumer complaints on Saturday, 14 August 2021 relating to telecommunications services, this was lower than the 923 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 47 states and territories, with California accounting for the largest number of submissions at 78 complaints. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 165 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 410
- States & territories reporting
- 47
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (165)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (78)
Where the complaints came from
The 410 complaints recorded on 14 August 2021 originated from 293 cities across 47 states and territories. Compared with most days, complaint activity was more concentrated, with California contributing the largest share of complaints. While complaints were reported across multiple cities, no individual location accounted for a significant 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 | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 78 | 19.0% |
| Texas | 34 | 8.3% |
| Florida | 31 | 7.6% |
| Pennsylvania | 19 | 4.6% |
| New York | 18 | 4.4% |
| Arizona | 16 | 3.9% |
| Maryland | 15 | 3.7% |
| Alabama | 13 | 3.2% |
| Georgia | 13 | 3.2% |
| Louisiana | 9 | 2.2% |
| Other states and territories | 164 | 40.0% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 8 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 237 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 237 | 57.8% |
| TV | 91 | 22.2% |
| Internet | 68 | 16.6% |
| Radio | 8 | 2.0% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.5% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.5% |
| Broadband Story | 1 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
237 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 57.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 165 | 69.6% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 20 | 8.4% |
| Billing | 20 | 8.4% |
| Equipment | 14 | 5.9% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 4 | 1.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 4 | 1.7% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 3 | 1.3% |
| Junk Faxes | 3 | 1.3% |
| Privacy | 3 | 1.3% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.4% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Availability (including rural call completion), Billing and Equipment.
TV complaints
91 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 22.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Indecency | 48 | 52.7% |
| Availability | 19 | 20.9% |
| Billing | 14 | 15.4% |
| Loud Commercials | 7 | 7.7% |
| Privacy | 2 | 2.2% |
| Equipment | 1 | 1.1% |
Indecency and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Internet complaints
68 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 16.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 28 | 41.2% |
| Billing | 21 | 30.9% |
| Speed | 11 | 16.2% |
| Privacy | 4 | 5.9% |
| Equipment | 2 | 2.9% |
| Interference | 2 | 2.9% |
Availability and Billing 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.