FCC Consumer Complaints – 1 September 2021
Introduction
On Wednesday, 1 September 2021, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1071 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented an increase from the 1056 complaints recorded the previous day. Complaints were reported across 53 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 640 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1071
- States & territories reporting
- 53
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (640)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (145)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 1071 complaints were recorded on 1 September 2021, with reports originating from 682 cities in 53 states and territories. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant 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 | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 145 | 13.5% |
| Florida | 81 | 7.6% |
| New York | 73 | 6.8% |
| Texas | 73 | 6.8% |
| Ohio | 42 | 3.9% |
| Maryland | 41 | 3.8% |
| Georgia | 40 | 3.7% |
| Washington | 38 | 3.5% |
| Arizona | 33 | 3.1% |
| North Carolina | 30 | 2.8% |
| Other states and territories | 468 | 43.7% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 8 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 833 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 833 | 77.8% |
| Internet | 147 | 13.7% |
| TV | 71 | 6.6% |
| Radio | 11 | 1.0% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 4 | 0.4% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
| Broadband Story | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
833 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 77.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 640 | 76.8% |
| Billing | 52 | 6.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 51 | 6.1% |
| Equipment | 34 | 4.1% |
| Privacy | 18 | 2.2% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 17 | 2.0% |
| Junk Faxes | 9 | 1.1% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 7 | 0.8% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 5 | 0.6% |
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
147 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 13.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 58 | 39.5% |
| Billing | 53 | 36.1% |
| Equipment | 11 | 7.5% |
| Speed | 11 | 7.5% |
| Privacy | 9 | 6.1% |
| Interference | 5 | 3.4% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
71 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 18 | 25.4% |
| Billing | 17 | 23.9% |
| Indecency | 16 | 22.5% |
| Loud Commercials | 11 | 15.5% |
| Equipment | 5 | 7.0% |
| Privacy | 3 | 4.2% |
| Interference | 1 | 1.4% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Availability, Billing and Indecency.
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.