FCC Consumer Complaints – 7 October 2021
Introduction
On Thursday, 7 October 2021, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 887 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume fell from 1027 complaints the previous day. Complaints were reported across 48 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 461 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 887
- States & territories reporting
- 48
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (461)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (106)
Where the complaints came from
The 887 complaints recorded on 7 October 2021 originated from 598 cities across 48 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. 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 | 106 | 12.0% |
| Florida | 90 | 10.1% |
| Texas | 71 | 8.0% |
| New York | 63 | 7.1% |
| Georgia | 38 | 4.3% |
| Ohio | 34 | 3.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 33 | 3.7% |
| North Carolina | 29 | 3.3% |
| Colorado | 25 | 2.8% |
| Virginia | 25 | 2.8% |
| Other states and territories | 370 | 41.7% |
What the complaints were about
A total of 5 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. Phone was the most reported category, with 628 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 628 | 70.8% |
| Internet | 152 | 17.1% |
| TV | 94 | 10.6% |
| Radio | 11 | 1.2% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
628 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 70.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 461 | 73.4% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 48 | 7.6% |
| Billing | 43 | 6.8% |
| Equipment | 24 | 3.8% |
| Junk Faxes | 16 | 2.5% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 14 | 2.2% |
| Privacy | 10 | 1.6% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 8 | 1.3% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 4 | 0.6% |
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 Availability (including rural call completion), Billing and Equipment among the most common.
Internet complaints
152 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 17.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 51 | 33.6% |
| Billing | 46 | 30.3% |
| Speed | 25 | 16.4% |
| Privacy | 12 | 7.9% |
| Equipment | 9 | 5.9% |
| Interference | 9 | 5.9% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
94 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 40 | 42.6% |
| Billing | 26 | 27.7% |
| Loud Commercials | 13 | 13.8% |
| Equipment | 6 | 6.4% |
| Indecency | 6 | 6.4% |
| Privacy | 2 | 2.1% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
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.