FCC Consumer Complaints – 5 October 2021
Introduction
On Tuesday, 5 October 2021, 978 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was higher than the 856 complaints recorded the day before. Complaints were reported across 52 states and territories, with Texas slightly ahead of the other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 500 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 978
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (500)
- Most reported state/territory
- Texas (111)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 978 complaints were recorded on 5 October 2021, with reports originating from 611 cities in 52 states and territories. The distribution of complaints was relatively even, with no single state or territory contributing a dominant share. 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 | |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 111 | 11.3% |
| California | 93 | 9.5% |
| Florida | 71 | 7.3% |
| New York | 65 | 6.6% |
| North Carolina | 50 | 5.1% |
| Ohio | 37 | 3.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 36 | 3.7% |
| Illinois | 28 | 2.9% |
| Massachusetts | 26 | 2.7% |
| Indiana | 24 | 2.5% |
| Other states and territories | 437 | 44.7% |
What the complaints were about
A total of 6 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 725 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 725 | 74.1% |
| Internet | 163 | 16.7% |
| TV | 70 | 7.2% |
| Radio | 16 | 1.6% |
| Accessibility | 3 | 0.3% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
725 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 74.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 500 | 69.0% |
| Billing | 67 | 9.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 59 | 8.1% |
| Equipment | 35 | 4.8% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 27 | 3.7% |
| Junk Faxes | 15 | 2.1% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 10 | 1.4% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 5 | 0.7% |
| Privacy | 5 | 0.7% |
| Rural Call Completion | 1 | 0.1% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 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. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
Internet complaints
163 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 16.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 66 | 40.5% |
| Availability | 59 | 36.2% |
| Equipment | 16 | 9.8% |
| Speed | 11 | 6.7% |
| Interference | 10 | 6.1% |
| Privacy | 1 | 0.6% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
70 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 24 | 34.3% |
| Availability | 22 | 31.4% |
| Loud Commercials | 8 | 11.4% |
| Indecency | 6 | 8.6% |
| Equipment | 5 | 7.1% |
| Interference | 4 | 5.7% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.4% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Unwanted calls
A total of 500 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 51.1% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact numbers are shown below where sufficient data is available.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (844) 614-3441 | 5 | 1.0% |
| (254) 570-2291 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (415) 200-8139 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (516) 883-8475 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (702) 960-0868 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (708) 967-9926 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (201) 994-4874 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (202) 407-9009 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (202) 900-0368 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (202) 949-6154 | 1 | 0.2% |
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.
- Reports were spread across many different business contact numbers, with no single number dominating.
- (844) 614-3441 stood out as the most frequently reported caller ID number.
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.