FCC Consumer Complaints – September 2021
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 23374 consumer complaints in September 2021 relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 24744 complaints recorded the previous month. Reports were received from 54 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 12694 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 23374
- Days with complaint data
- 30
- Days with complaints
- 30
- States & territories reporting
- 54
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (12694)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (2716)
Daily complaint activity
Daily complaint activity averaged 779.1 complaints per day during the month. The busiest day was 15 September 2021, when 1086 complaints were recorded, and 21 days were above the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 26 September 2021, with 298 complaints, noticeably below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
The 23374 complaints recorded in September 2021 originated from 5411 cities across 54 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. Despite the overall distribution, a notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 85 of the 97 complaints recorded in the state.
The table below summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory during the month, ordered by total reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 2716 | 11.6% |
| Texas | 2092 | 9.0% |
| Florida | 1684 | 7.2% |
| New York | 1399 | 6.0% |
| North Carolina | 825 | 3.5% |
| Ohio | 787 | 3.4% |
| Georgia | 777 | 3.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 769 | 3.3% |
| Colorado | 750 | 3.2% |
| Illinois | 713 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 10790 | 46.2% |
Location highlight
Complaints in District of Columbia were heavily concentrated in Washington, which accounted for the majority of reports within the state.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the month were spread across 8 complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 17194 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 17194 | 73.6% |
| Internet | 3806 | 16.3% |
| TV | 1822 | 7.8% |
| Radio | 332 | 1.4% |
| Accessibility | 64 | 0.3% |
| Emergency | 64 | 0.3% |
| Broadband Story | 61 | 0.3% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 31 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
17194 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 73.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 12694 | 73.8% |
| Billing | 1274 | 7.4% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 1186 | 6.9% |
| Equipment | 756 | 4.4% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 379 | 2.2% |
| Privacy | 315 | 1.8% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 220 | 1.3% |
| Junk Faxes | 204 | 1.2% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 136 | 0.8% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 24 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 6 | 0.0% |
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 Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
Internet complaints
3806 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 16.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 1469 | 38.6% |
| Billing | 1195 | 31.4% |
| Speed | 438 | 11.5% |
| Interference | 269 | 7.1% |
| Equipment | 250 | 6.6% |
| Privacy | 185 | 4.9% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
1822 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 7.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 550 | 30.2% |
| Availability | 487 | 26.7% |
| Loud Commercials | 351 | 19.3% |
| Indecency | 241 | 13.2% |
| Equipment | 109 | 6.0% |
| Interference | 63 | 3.5% |
| Privacy | 20 | 1.1% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability and Loud Commercials.
Radio complaints
332 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 95 | 28.6% |
| Indecency | 78 | 23.5% |
| Availability | 65 | 19.6% |
| Pirate Radio | 57 | 17.2% |
| Billing | 13 | 3.9% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 13 | 3.9% |
| Equipment | 11 | 3.3% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Interference, Indecency and Availability.
Accessibility complaints
64 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 18 | 28.1% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 16 | 25.0% |
| Closed Captioning on TV | 14 | 21.9% |
| Video Description | 7 | 10.9% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 3 | 4.7% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 1 | 1.6% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS), Closed Captioning over the Internet and Closed Captioning on TV.
Emergency complaints
64 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 28 | 43.8% |
| Interference | 25 | 39.1% |
| Tower | 10 | 15.6% |
| Phone | 1 | 1.6% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Other and Interference, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Broadband Story complaints
61 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|
Request for Dispute Assistance complaints
31 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|
Unwanted calls
There were 12694 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 54.3% 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 | 18 | 0.1% |
| (817) 409-7505 | 13 | 0.1% |
| (817) 409-7795 | 11 | 0.1% |
| (651) 461-4807 | 10 | 0.1% |
| (775) 245-5402 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (850) 407-5544 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (817) 409-7661 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (866) 883-4452 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (203) 893-4289 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (440) 363-6613 | 7 | 0.1% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (833) 304-1447 | 44 | 0.3% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 20 | 0.2% |
| (951) 797-1287 | 20 | 0.2% |
| (714) 694-7603 | 19 | 0.1% |
| (510) 264-7564 | 18 | 0.1% |
| (866) 706-1619 | 18 | 0.1% |
| (817) 409-7505 | 13 | 0.1% |
| (817) 409-7795 | 11 | 0.1% |
| (828) 332-5416 | 11 | 0.1% |
| (844) 633-3546 | 11 | 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 stood out as the most frequently reported business contact number.
- (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.