FCC Consumer Complaints – 26 October 2021
Introduction
On Tuesday, 26 October 2021, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1036 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this was higher than the 853 complaints recorded the day before. 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 584 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1036
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (584)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (154)
Where the complaints came from
On 26 October 2021, the 1036 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 667 cities across 51 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.
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 | 154 | 14.9% |
| Texas | 81 | 7.8% |
| Florida | 72 | 6.9% |
| New York | 60 | 5.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 40 | 3.9% |
| Illinois | 35 | 3.4% |
| Washington | 32 | 3.1% |
| Massachusetts | 31 | 3.0% |
| North Carolina | 31 | 3.0% |
| Ohio | 31 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 466 | 45.0% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 7 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 790 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 790 | 76.3% |
| Internet | 137 | 13.2% |
| TV | 74 | 7.1% |
| Accessibility | 21 | 2.0% |
| Radio | 12 | 1.2% |
| Broadband Story | 1 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
790 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 76.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 584 | 73.9% |
| Billing | 71 | 9.0% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 42 | 5.3% |
| Equipment | 37 | 4.7% |
| Junk Faxes | 18 | 2.3% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 13 | 1.6% |
| Privacy | 10 | 1.3% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 7 | 0.9% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 6 | 0.8% |
| 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
137 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 13.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 54 | 39.4% |
| Billing | 45 | 32.8% |
| Equipment | 16 | 11.7% |
| Privacy | 8 | 5.8% |
| Interference | 7 | 5.1% |
| Speed | 7 | 5.1% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
74 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 33 | 44.6% |
| Billing | 18 | 24.3% |
| Indecency | 10 | 13.5% |
| Loud Commercials | 9 | 12.2% |
| Equipment | 1 | 1.4% |
| Interference | 1 | 1.4% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.4% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
A total of 584 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 56.4% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact numbers are shown below where sufficient data is available.
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (555) 555-5555 | 6 | 1.0% |
| (360) 207-1176 | 4 | 0.7% |
| (423) 734-1406 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (480) 550-3202 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (630) 553-2687 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (714) 694-7603 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (833) 304-1447 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (914) 451-1207 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (202) 221-7923 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (202) 224-4343 | 1 | 0.2% |
Key patterns
- None accounted for the largest share of unwanted call complaints by service type.
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (555) 555-5555 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- Reports were spread across many different caller ID numbers, with no single number dominating.
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.