FCC Consumer Complaints – 6 November 2021

Introduction

On 6 November 2021, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 362 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this was lower than the 757 complaints recorded the day before. Complaints were reported across 42 states and territories, and California generated the highest number of submissions with 63 complaints. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 189 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
362
States & territories reporting
42
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (189)
Most reported state/territory
California (63)

Where the complaints came from

Across 251 cities in 42 states and territories, a total of 362 complaints were recorded on 6 November 2021. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.

The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.

State/Territory Complaints
California 63 17.4%
Kentucky 23 6.4%
New Jersey 23 6.4%
Texas 23 6.4%
Florida 18 5.0%
Pennsylvania 16 4.4%
Virginia 16 4.4%
Oregon 13 3.6%
New York 11 3.0%
Ohio 11 3.0%
Other states and territories 145 40.1%

Location highlight

California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 39 different cities.

What the complaints were about

The complaints recorded on this date fell into 8 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 243 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 243 67.1%
Internet 68 18.8%
TV 34 9.4%
Radio 12 3.3%
Emergency 2 0.6%
Accessibility 1 0.3%
Broadband Story 1 0.3%
Request for Dispute Assistance 1 0.3%

Phone complaints

243 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 67.1% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 189 77.8%
Billing 17 7.0%
Availability (including rural call completion) 16 6.6%
Equipment 9 3.7%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 4 1.6%
Interference (including signal jammers) 3 1.2%
Privacy 3 1.2%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 1 0.4%
Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) 1 0.4%

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. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.

Internet complaints

68 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 18.8% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 20 29.4%
Billing 20 29.4%
Interference 9 13.2%
Speed 8 11.8%
Privacy 7 10.3%
Equipment 4 5.9%

The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Availability, Billing and Interference.

TV complaints

34 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.4% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 11 32.4%
Billing 8 23.5%
Indecency 7 20.6%
Loud Commercials 5 14.7%
Equipment 2 5.9%
Interference 1 2.9%

The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Availability, Billing and Indecency.

Page last updated: 7 November 2021 with FCC complaints data from 6 November 2021.

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.