FCC Consumer Complaints – 24 September 2021
Introduction
On 24 September 2021, 813 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was lower than the 965 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 51 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 464 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 813
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (464)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (104)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 813 complaints were recorded on 24 September 2021, with reports originating from 553 cities in 51 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. 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 | 104 | 12.8% |
| Texas | 68 | 8.4% |
| Florida | 57 | 7.0% |
| New York | 44 | 5.4% |
| Virginia | 29 | 3.6% |
| Arizona | 28 | 3.4% |
| Colorado | 28 | 3.4% |
| Maryland | 28 | 3.4% |
| New Jersey | 27 | 3.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 27 | 3.3% |
| Other states and territories | 372 | 45.8% |
Location highlight
Complaints in California were reported across 74 cities, the widest spread observed on this date.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 7 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 597 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 597 | 73.4% |
| Internet | 134 | 16.5% |
| TV | 66 | 8.1% |
| Radio | 9 | 1.1% |
| Accessibility | 3 | 0.4% |
| Broadband Story | 2 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
597 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 73.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 464 | 77.7% |
| Billing | 47 | 7.9% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 36 | 6.0% |
| Equipment | 15 | 2.5% |
| Privacy | 11 | 1.8% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 10 | 1.7% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 6 | 1.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 5 | 0.8% |
| Junk Faxes | 3 | 0.5% |
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
134 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 16.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 55 | 41.0% |
| Billing | 45 | 33.6% |
| Privacy | 12 | 9.0% |
| Interference | 8 | 6.0% |
| Speed | 8 | 6.0% |
| Equipment | 6 | 4.5% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
66 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 21 | 31.8% |
| Indecency | 14 | 21.2% |
| Availability | 13 | 19.7% |
| Loud Commercials | 13 | 19.7% |
| Equipment | 3 | 4.5% |
| Interference | 2 | 3.0% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Indecency and Availability 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.