FCC Consumer Complaints – 8 September 2021

Introduction

On 8 September 2021, 990 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented an increase from the 919 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 49 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 556 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
990
States & territories reporting
49
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (556)
Most reported state/territory
California (119)

Where the complaints came from

On 8 September 2021, the 990 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 652 cities across 49 states and territories. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.

The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this date, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.

State/Territory Complaints
California 119 12.0%
Texas 100 10.1%
Florida 75 7.6%
New York 61 6.2%
Georgia 36 3.6%
Pennsylvania 35 3.5%
North Carolina 34 3.4%
Ohio 30 3.0%
Illinois 27 2.7%
Virginia 26 2.6%
Other states and territories 443 44.7%

What the complaints were about

A total of 7 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 745 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 745 75.3%
Internet 155 15.7%
TV 68 6.9%
Radio 13 1.3%
Accessibility 4 0.4%
Broadband Story 3 0.3%
Emergency 2 0.2%

Phone complaints

745 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 75.3% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 556 74.6%
Billing 57 7.7%
Availability (including rural call completion) 46 6.2%
Equipment 41 5.5%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 16 2.1%
Privacy 12 1.6%
Interference (including signal jammers) 8 1.1%
Junk Faxes 8 1.1%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 1 0.1%

Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment among the most common.

Internet complaints

155 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.7% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 56 36.1%
Availability 51 32.9%
Interference 15 9.7%
Speed 15 9.7%
Equipment 11 7.1%
Privacy 7 4.5%

Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.

TV complaints

68 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.9% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 26 38.2%
Availability 20 29.4%
Loud Commercials 10 14.7%
Equipment 7 10.3%
Indecency 4 5.9%
Interference 1 1.5%

Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.

Page last updated: 9 September 2021 with FCC complaints data from 8 September 2021.

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.