FCC Consumer Complaints – 11 October 2021

Introduction

A total of 671 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on Monday, 11 October 2021, complaint volume increased from 330 complaints the day before. Reports were received from 48 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 373 complaints recorded.

Key statistics

Total complaints
671
States & territories reporting
48
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (373)
Most reported state/territory
California (88)

Where the complaints came from

Across 461 cities in 48 states and territories, a total of 671 complaints were recorded on 11 October 2021. Activity was spread across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a substantial share of complaints. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.

The table below summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory on this date, ordered by total reports.

State/Territory Complaints
California 88 13.1%
Florida 58 8.6%
Texas 52 7.7%
New York 40 6.0%
Ohio 27 4.0%
Virginia 26 3.9%
Georgia 25 3.7%
Illinois 25 3.7%
Tennessee 23 3.4%
Pennsylvania 21 3.1%
Other states and territories 286 42.6%

What the complaints were about

A total of 7 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 492 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 492 73.3%
Internet 102 15.2%
TV 65 9.7%
Radio 7 1.0%
Emergency 3 0.4%
Accessibility 1 0.1%
Broadband Story 1 0.1%

Phone complaints

492 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 73.3% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 373 75.8%
Availability (including rural call completion) 38 7.7%
Billing 31 6.3%
Equipment 17 3.5%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 12 2.4%
Privacy 7 1.4%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 6 1.2%
Interference (including signal jammers) 6 1.2%
Junk Faxes 1 0.2%

As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided 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

102 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.2% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 38 37.3%
Billing 34 33.3%
Speed 14 13.7%
Privacy 6 5.9%
Equipment 5 4.9%
Interference 5 4.9%

Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.

TV complaints

65 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.7% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 23 35.4%
Availability 20 30.8%
Loud Commercials 11 16.9%
Indecency 9 13.8%
Equipment 1 1.5%

Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.

Page last updated: 12 October 2021 with FCC complaints data from 11 October 2021.

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.