FCC Consumer Complaints – 6 October 2021
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 1027 consumer complaints on Wednesday, 6 October 2021 relating to telecommunications services, this represented an increase from the 978 complaints recorded the day before. Complaints were reported across 52 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 544 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1027
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (544)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (115)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 6 October 2021 show 1027 complaints originating from 666 cities across 52 states and territories. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 115 | 11.2% |
| Texas | 85 | 8.3% |
| Florida | 75 | 7.3% |
| New York | 55 | 5.4% |
| Georgia | 42 | 4.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 41 | 4.0% |
| North Carolina | 37 | 3.6% |
| Washington | 37 | 3.6% |
| Ohio | 36 | 3.5% |
| Arizona | 31 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 470 | 45.8% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 8 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 779 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 779 | 75.9% |
| Internet | 153 | 14.9% |
| TV | 66 | 6.4% |
| Radio | 12 | 1.2% |
| Accessibility | 9 | 0.9% |
| Broadband Story | 3 | 0.3% |
| Emergency | 3 | 0.3% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
779 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 75.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 544 | 69.8% |
| Billing | 70 | 9.0% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 69 | 8.9% |
| Equipment | 34 | 4.4% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 14 | 1.8% |
| Junk Faxes | 13 | 1.7% |
| Privacy | 11 | 1.4% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 10 | 1.3% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 7 | 0.9% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 4 | 0.5% |
As is typical for this category, unwanted calls accounted for the largest share of complaints. A more detailed analysis of these reports is provided 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
153 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 14.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 53 | 34.6% |
| Billing | 44 | 28.8% |
| Interference | 20 | 13.1% |
| Speed | 15 | 9.8% |
| Privacy | 11 | 7.2% |
| Equipment | 10 | 6.5% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
66 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 28 | 42.4% |
| Availability | 19 | 28.8% |
| Indecency | 8 | 12.1% |
| Loud Commercials | 5 | 7.6% |
| Equipment | 3 | 4.5% |
| Interference | 1 | 1.5% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.5% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
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.