FCC Consumer Complaints – 16 September 2021
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 918 consumer complaints on Thursday, 16 September 2021 relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume fell from 1086 complaints the previous day. Reports were received from 49 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 568 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 918
- States & territories reporting
- 49
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (568)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (100)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 16 September 2021 show 918 complaints originating from 594 cities across 49 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location 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 | 100 | 10.9% |
| Florida | 73 | 8.0% |
| Texas | 69 | 7.5% |
| New York | 42 | 4.6% |
| North Carolina | 38 | 4.1% |
| New Jersey | 37 | 4.0% |
| Georgia | 36 | 3.9% |
| Massachusetts | 34 | 3.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 33 | 3.6% |
| Arizona | 29 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 426 | 46.4% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 7 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 697 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 697 | 75.9% |
| Internet | 138 | 15.0% |
| TV | 65 | 7.1% |
| Radio | 13 | 1.4% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
| Broadband Story | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
697 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 75.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 568 | 81.5% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 32 | 4.6% |
| Billing | 32 | 4.6% |
| Equipment | 21 | 3.0% |
| Privacy | 10 | 1.4% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 9 | 1.3% |
| Junk Faxes | 9 | 1.3% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 8 | 1.1% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 8 | 1.1% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Availability (including rural call completion), Billing and Equipment among the most common.
Internet complaints
138 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 51 | 37.0% |
| Billing | 45 | 32.6% |
| Speed | 18 | 13.0% |
| Equipment | 12 | 8.7% |
| Interference | 11 | 8.0% |
| Privacy | 1 | 0.7% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
65 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 22 | 33.8% |
| Loud Commercials | 13 | 20.0% |
| Billing | 12 | 18.5% |
| Indecency | 10 | 15.4% |
| Equipment | 6 | 9.2% |
| Interference | 1 | 1.5% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.5% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Availability, Loud Commercials and Billing among the most common.
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.