FCC Consumer Complaints – 22 October 2021
Introduction
On Friday, 22 October 2021, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 889 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this was lower than the 975 complaints recorded the previous day. The complaints came from 51 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 519 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 889
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (519)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (114)
Where the complaints came from
The 889 complaints recorded on 22 October 2021 originated from 593 cities across 51 states and territories. Activity was spread across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a substantial share of complaints. At the city level, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share of the total.
The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this date, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 114 | 12.8% |
| Texas | 75 | 8.4% |
| New York | 73 | 8.2% |
| Florida | 56 | 6.3% |
| Michigan | 33 | 3.7% |
| Colorado | 30 | 3.4% |
| Illinois | 30 | 3.4% |
| New Jersey | 30 | 3.4% |
| Ohio | 26 | 2.9% |
| Arizona | 25 | 2.8% |
| Other states and territories | 393 | 44.2% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 7 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 682 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 682 | 76.7% |
| Internet | 127 | 14.3% |
| TV | 67 | 7.5% |
| Radio | 8 | 0.9% |
| Broadband Story | 2 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
682 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 76.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 519 | 76.1% |
| Billing | 50 | 7.3% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 40 | 5.9% |
| Equipment | 34 | 5.0% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 19 | 2.8% |
| Privacy | 11 | 1.6% |
| Junk Faxes | 5 | 0.7% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 3 | 0.4% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.1% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
Internet complaints
127 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 14.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 43 | 33.9% |
| Billing | 41 | 32.3% |
| Speed | 22 | 17.3% |
| Interference | 10 | 7.9% |
| Equipment | 8 | 6.3% |
| Privacy | 3 | 2.4% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
67 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 19 | 28.4% |
| Billing | 17 | 25.4% |
| Loud Commercials | 13 | 19.4% |
| Equipment | 8 | 11.9% |
| Indecency | 6 | 9.0% |
| Interference | 3 | 4.5% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.5% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Availability, Billing and Loud Commercials.
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.