FCC Consumer Complaints – 22 August 2021
Introduction
On Sunday, 22 August 2021, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 322 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume fell from 380 complaints the day before. Reports were received from 40 states and territories, with Texas recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 133 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 322
- States & territories reporting
- 40
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (133)
- Most reported state/territory
- Texas (30)
Where the complaints came from
On 22 August 2021, the 322 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 242 cities across 40 states and territories. The complaints were widely dispersed, with no single state or territory representing a notable proportion of the total. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 30 | 9.3% |
| Florida | 26 | 8.1% |
| California | 24 | 7.5% |
| Georgia | 22 | 6.8% |
| New York | 19 | 5.9% |
| Tennessee | 16 | 5.0% |
| Kentucky | 14 | 4.3% |
| North Carolina | 13 | 4.0% |
| Colorado | 11 | 3.4% |
| Ohio | 11 | 3.4% |
| Other states and territories | 136 | 42.2% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 7 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 199 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 199 | 61.8% |
| Internet | 62 | 19.3% |
| TV | 43 | 13.4% |
| Radio | 12 | 3.7% |
| Accessibility | 3 | 0.9% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.6% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.3% |
Phone complaints
199 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 61.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 133 | 66.8% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 16 | 8.0% |
| Billing | 15 | 7.5% |
| Privacy | 12 | 6.0% |
| Equipment | 8 | 4.0% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 5 | 2.5% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 5 | 2.5% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 4 | 2.0% |
| Junk Faxes | 1 | 0.5% |
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. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Availability (including rural call completion), Billing and Privacy.
Internet complaints
62 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 19.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 25 | 40.3% |
| Billing | 16 | 25.8% |
| Speed | 12 | 19.4% |
| Interference | 5 | 8.1% |
| Privacy | 3 | 4.8% |
| Equipment | 1 | 1.6% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
43 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 13.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 11 | 25.6% |
| Billing | 11 | 25.6% |
| Loud Commercials | 11 | 25.6% |
| Indecency | 5 | 11.6% |
| Equipment | 4 | 9.3% |
| Interference | 1 | 2.3% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Availability, Billing and Loud Commercials.
Unwanted calls
133 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 41.3% of all complaints. Reports referenced both caller ID numbers and business contact numbers, with number tables shown where meaningful patterns are present.
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (999) 999-9999 | 5 | 3.8% |
| (817) 409-7795 | 3 | 2.3% |
| (315) 232-8257 | 2 | 1.5% |
| (817) 409-7661 | 2 | 1.5% |
| (844) 828-6254 | 2 | 1.5% |
| (201) 905-2104 | 1 | 0.8% |
| (208) 340-5268 | 1 | 0.8% |
| (240) 244-3904 | 1 | 0.8% |
| (256) 302-6452 | 1 | 0.8% |
| (260) 602-6109 | 1 | 0.8% |
Key patterns
- None accounted for the largest share of unwanted call complaints by service type.
- Abandoned Calls was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (999) 999-9999 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- Reports were spread across many different caller ID numbers, with no single number dominating.
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.