FCC Consumer Complaints – 18 August 2021
Introduction
On 18 August 2021, 1148 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, complaint volume increased from 1064 complaints the previous day. Reports were received from 51 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 662 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1148
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (662)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (170)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 1148 complaints were recorded on 18 August 2021, with reports originating from 740 cities in 51 states and territories. The distribution of complaints was relatively even, with no single state or territory contributing a dominant 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 | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 170 | 14.8% |
| Texas | 107 | 9.3% |
| Florida | 88 | 7.7% |
| Georgia | 50 | 4.4% |
| New York | 49 | 4.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 49 | 4.3% |
| North Carolina | 48 | 4.2% |
| Maryland | 37 | 3.2% |
| Virginia | 37 | 3.2% |
| Michigan | 34 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 479 | 41.7% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 6 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 872 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 872 | 76.0% |
| Internet | 129 | 11.2% |
| TV | 121 | 10.5% |
| Radio | 14 | 1.2% |
| Accessibility | 10 | 0.9% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
872 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 76.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 662 | 75.9% |
| Billing | 57 | 6.5% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 55 | 6.3% |
| Equipment | 31 | 3.6% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 27 | 3.1% |
| Privacy | 12 | 1.4% |
| Junk Faxes | 10 | 1.1% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 9 | 1.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 8 | 0.9% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.1% |
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 Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
Internet complaints
129 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 54 | 41.9% |
| Billing | 44 | 34.1% |
| Speed | 13 | 10.1% |
| Equipment | 7 | 5.4% |
| Interference | 6 | 4.7% |
| Privacy | 5 | 3.9% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
121 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 65 | 53.7% |
| Billing | 21 | 17.4% |
| Indecency | 15 | 12.4% |
| Loud Commercials | 11 | 9.1% |
| Equipment | 6 | 5.0% |
| Privacy | 2 | 1.7% |
| Interference | 1 | 0.8% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
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.