FCC Consumer Complaints – 15 October 2021
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 901 consumer complaints on Friday, 15 October 2021 relating to telecommunications services, this was higher than the 879 complaints recorded the previous day. Reports were received from 50 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 510 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 901
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (510)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (124)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 901 complaints were recorded on 15 October 2021, with reports originating from 604 cities in 50 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. At the city level, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share of the total.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 124 | 13.8% |
| Texas | 77 | 8.5% |
| Florida | 63 | 7.0% |
| New York | 59 | 6.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 29 | 3.2% |
| North Carolina | 28 | 3.1% |
| Arizona | 27 | 3.0% |
| Massachusetts | 27 | 3.0% |
| Virginia | 26 | 2.9% |
| Nevada | 25 | 2.8% |
| Other states and territories | 415 | 46.1% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 6 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 681 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 681 | 75.6% |
| Internet | 137 | 15.2% |
| TV | 64 | 7.1% |
| Radio | 16 | 1.8% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
681 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 75.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 510 | 74.9% |
| Billing | 56 | 8.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 40 | 5.9% |
| Equipment | 35 | 5.1% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 13 | 1.9% |
| Junk Faxes | 8 | 1.2% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 7 | 1.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 6 | 0.9% |
| Privacy | 5 | 0.7% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.1% |
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. 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
137 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 50 | 36.5% |
| Billing | 43 | 31.4% |
| Speed | 23 | 16.8% |
| Equipment | 9 | 6.6% |
| Interference | 8 | 5.8% |
| Privacy | 4 | 2.9% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
64 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 21 | 32.8% |
| Availability | 18 | 28.1% |
| Loud Commercials | 12 | 18.8% |
| Indecency | 6 | 9.4% |
| Interference | 4 | 6.3% |
| Privacy | 2 | 3.1% |
| Equipment | 1 | 1.6% |
Billing and Availability 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.