FCC Consumer Complaints – November 2021
Introduction
In November 2021, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 19988 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 22713 complaints recorded the month before. The complaints came from 54 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 10571 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 19988
- Days with complaint data
- 30
- Days with complaints
- 30
- States & territories reporting
- 54
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (10571)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (2360)
Daily complaint activity
Daily complaint activity averaged 666.3 complaints per day during the month. The busiest day was 2 November 2021, when 978 complaints were recorded, and 20 days were above the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 25 November 2021, with 260 complaints, noticeably below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded in November 2021 show 19988 complaints originating from 4862 cities across 54 states and territories. The distribution of complaints was relatively even, with no single state or territory contributing a dominant share. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 73 of the 80 complaints recorded in the state.
The table below summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory during the month, ordered by total reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 2360 | 11.8% |
| Texas | 1686 | 8.4% |
| Florida | 1358 | 6.8% |
| New York | 1340 | 6.7% |
| Ohio | 761 | 3.8% |
| North Carolina | 730 | 3.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 675 | 3.4% |
| Georgia | 639 | 3.2% |
| Illinois | 624 | 3.1% |
| Virginia | 568 | 2.8% |
| Other states and territories | 9198 | 46.0% |
Location highlight
Complaint activity in District of Columbia was almost entirely concentrated in Washington.
What the complaints were about
A total of 8 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded during the month. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 14518 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 14518 | 72.6% |
| Internet | 3195 | 16.0% |
| TV | 1702 | 8.5% |
| Radio | 337 | 1.7% |
| Accessibility | 118 | 0.6% |
| Emergency | 51 | 0.3% |
| Broadband Story | 50 | 0.3% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 17 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
14518 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 72.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 10571 | 72.8% |
| Billing | 1308 | 9.0% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 983 | 6.8% |
| Equipment | 665 | 4.6% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 360 | 2.5% |
| Privacy | 187 | 1.3% |
| Junk Faxes | 153 | 1.1% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 132 | 0.9% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 131 | 0.9% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 17 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 2 | 0.0% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
Internet complaints
3195 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 16.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 1189 | 37.2% |
| Billing | 1056 | 33.1% |
| Speed | 352 | 11.0% |
| Interference | 218 | 6.8% |
| Privacy | 193 | 6.0% |
| Equipment | 187 | 5.9% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
1702 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 8.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 525 | 30.8% |
| Billing | 517 | 30.4% |
| Loud Commercials | 304 | 17.9% |
| Indecency | 199 | 11.7% |
| Equipment | 77 | 4.5% |
| Interference | 52 | 3.1% |
| Privacy | 22 | 1.3% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Radio complaints
337 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 106 | 31.5% |
| Indecency | 72 | 21.4% |
| Availability | 63 | 18.7% |
| Pirate Radio | 49 | 14.5% |
| Equipment | 15 | 4.5% |
| Billing | 14 | 4.2% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 14 | 4.2% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Interference, Indecency and Availability.
Accessibility complaints
118 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 35 | 29.7% |
| Closed Captioning on TV | 28 | 23.7% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 26 | 22.0% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 3 | 2.5% |
| Video Description | 3 | 2.5% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 2 | 1.7% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Closed Captioning over the Internet, Closed Captioning on TV and Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS).
Emergency complaints
51 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 19 | 37.3% |
| Phone | 19 | 37.3% |
| Other | 7 | 13.7% |
| Tower | 6 | 11.8% |
Interference and Phone accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
A total of 10571 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 52.9% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact numbers are shown below where sufficient data is available.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (866) 364-6301 | 10 | 0.1% |
| (775) 245-3724 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (510) 264-7564 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (303) 557-4857 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (702) 718-4249 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (714) 332-4189 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (440) 581-7647 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (513) 696-1920 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (813) 492-4948 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (202) 918-1699 | 5 | 0.0% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (380) 888-0984 | 29 | 0.3% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 23 | 0.2% |
| (833) 304-1447 | 18 | 0.2% |
| (949) 313-4441 | 16 | 0.2% |
| (315) 564-4052 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (716) 902-7764 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (775) 245-3724 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (510) 264-7564 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (775) 571-2087 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (858) 223-9941 | 8 | 0.1% |
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.
- (380) 888-0984 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- (866) 364-6301 was reported slightly more often than other caller ID numbers.
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.