FCC Consumer Complaints – October 2021
Introduction
A total of 22713 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission in October 2021, complaint volume fell from 23374 complaints the month before. Complaints were reported across 54 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 12018 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 22713
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 54
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (12018)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (2857)
Daily complaint activity
The month averaged 732.7 complaints per day. The highest daily count was 1322 complaints on 27 October 2021, with 20 days recording more complaints than the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 24 October 2021, with 273 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 22713 complaints recorded in October 2021 originated from 5187 cities across 54 states and territories. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 70 of the 79 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 | 2857 | 12.6% |
| Texas | 1805 | 7.9% |
| Florida | 1703 | 7.5% |
| New York | 1519 | 6.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 805 | 3.5% |
| Georgia | 782 | 3.4% |
| Ohio | 782 | 3.4% |
| North Carolina | 705 | 3.1% |
| Illinois | 665 | 2.9% |
| Virginia | 624 | 2.7% |
| Other states and territories | 10410 | 45.8% |
Location highlight
Washington accounted for the majority of complaints recorded in District of Columbia.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the month fell into 8 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 16513 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 16513 | 72.7% |
| Internet | 3337 | 14.7% |
| TV | 1908 | 8.4% |
| Accessibility | 529 | 2.3% |
| Radio | 322 | 1.4% |
| Emergency | 53 | 0.2% |
| Broadband Story | 32 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 19 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
16513 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 72.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 12018 | 72.8% |
| Billing | 1348 | 8.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 1167 | 7.1% |
| Equipment | 745 | 4.5% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 422 | 2.6% |
| Privacy | 239 | 1.4% |
| Junk Faxes | 203 | 1.2% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 186 | 1.1% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 148 | 0.9% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 23 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 1 | 0.0% |
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
3337 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 14.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 1187 | 35.6% |
| Billing | 1073 | 32.2% |
| Speed | 427 | 12.8% |
| Interference | 260 | 7.8% |
| Equipment | 216 | 6.5% |
| Privacy | 174 | 5.2% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
1908 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 8.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 626 | 32.8% |
| Billing | 596 | 31.2% |
| Loud Commercials | 327 | 17.1% |
| Indecency | 194 | 10.2% |
| Equipment | 89 | 4.7% |
| Interference | 49 | 2.6% |
| Privacy | 18 | 0.9% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Accessibility complaints
529 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 2.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 398 | 75.2% |
| Closed Captioning on TV | 61 | 11.5% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 22 | 4.2% |
| Video Description | 14 | 2.6% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 5 | 0.9% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Closed Captioning over the Internet and Closed Captioning on TV, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Radio complaints
322 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 106 | 32.9% |
| Indecency | 70 | 21.7% |
| Availability | 61 | 18.9% |
| Pirate Radio | 43 | 13.4% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 21 | 6.5% |
| Billing | 14 | 4.3% |
| Equipment | 7 | 2.2% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Interference, Indecency and Availability among the most common.
Emergency complaints
53 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 31 | 58.5% |
| Phone | 15 | 28.3% |
| Other | 5 | 9.4% |
| Tower | 2 | 3.8% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Interference and Phone, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Broadband Story complaints
32 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|
Unwanted calls
12018 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 52.9% of all complaints. Reports referenced both caller ID numbers and business contact numbers, with number tables shown where meaningful patterns are present.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (510) 264-7564 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (702) 960-0868 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (888) 225-5773 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (234) 207-5682 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (702) 728-3620 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (844) 614-3441 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (855) 215-1831 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (734) 206-7228 | 6 | 0.0% |
| (800) 374-9700 | 6 | 0.0% |
| (312) 210-9916 | 5 | 0.0% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (555) 555-5555 | 26 | 0.2% |
| (833) 304-1447 | 26 | 0.2% |
| (951) 797-1287 | 19 | 0.2% |
| (999) 999-9999 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (716) 902-7764 | 13 | 0.1% |
| (510) 264-7564 | 11 | 0.1% |
| (714) 694-7603 | 10 | 0.1% |
| (702) 960-0868 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (888) 530-3707 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (727) 295-4557 | 8 | 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.
- Several business contact numbers were reported multiple times, with no single number clearly ahead of the others.
- (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.