FCC Consumer Complaints – 13 October 2021
Introduction
On Wednesday, 13 October 2021, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 859 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this was lower than the 920 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 49 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 451 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 859
- States & territories reporting
- 49
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (451)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (89)
Where the complaints came from
The 859 complaints recorded on 13 October 2021 were submitted from 580 cities across 49 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 table below summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory on this date, ordered by total reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 89 | 10.4% |
| New York | 77 | 9.0% |
| Florida | 71 | 8.3% |
| Texas | 71 | 8.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 41 | 4.8% |
| North Carolina | 31 | 3.6% |
| New Jersey | 29 | 3.4% |
| Virginia | 26 | 3.0% |
| Kentucky | 25 | 2.9% |
| Arizona | 24 | 2.8% |
| Other states and territories | 371 | 43.2% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 6 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 622 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 622 | 72.4% |
| Internet | 154 | 17.9% |
| TV | 67 | 7.8% |
| Radio | 11 | 1.3% |
| Accessibility | 4 | 0.5% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
622 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 72.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 451 | 72.5% |
| Billing | 56 | 9.0% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 34 | 5.5% |
| Equipment | 24 | 3.9% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 23 | 3.7% |
| Privacy | 14 | 2.3% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 8 | 1.3% |
| Junk Faxes | 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 Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment among the most common.
Internet complaints
154 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 17.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 55 | 35.7% |
| Billing | 52 | 33.8% |
| Speed | 24 | 15.6% |
| Interference | 10 | 6.5% |
| Equipment | 7 | 4.5% |
| Privacy | 6 | 3.9% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
67 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 23 | 34.3% |
| Availability | 16 | 23.9% |
| Loud Commercials | 14 | 20.9% |
| Equipment | 8 | 11.9% |
| Indecency | 3 | 4.5% |
| Interference | 3 | 4.5% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability and Loud Commercials among the most common.
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.