FCC Consumer Complaints – 12 November 2021
Introduction
On Friday, 12 November 2021, 794 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was higher than the 772 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 52 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 405 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 794
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (405)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (83)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 12 November 2021 show 794 complaints originating from 534 cities across 52 states and territories. Activity was spread across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a substantial share of complaints. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 83 | 10.5% |
| New York | 62 | 7.8% |
| Texas | 60 | 7.6% |
| Florida | 57 | 7.2% |
| North Carolina | 31 | 3.9% |
| Ohio | 30 | 3.8% |
| Washington | 28 | 3.5% |
| Illinois | 26 | 3.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 25 | 3.1% |
| Massachusetts | 23 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 368 | 46.3% |
What the complaints were about
A total of 7 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 577 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 577 | 72.7% |
| Internet | 118 | 14.9% |
| TV | 79 | 9.9% |
| Radio | 15 | 1.9% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.3% |
| Broadband Story | 2 | 0.3% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
577 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 72.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 405 | 70.2% |
| Billing | 59 | 10.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 41 | 7.1% |
| Equipment | 35 | 6.1% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 17 | 2.9% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 7 | 1.2% |
| Privacy | 5 | 0.9% |
| Junk Faxes | 3 | 0.5% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 3 | 0.5% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 2 | 0.3% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail 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
118 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 14.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 43 | 36.4% |
| Billing | 36 | 30.5% |
| Speed | 15 | 12.7% |
| Interference | 11 | 9.3% |
| Equipment | 9 | 7.6% |
| Privacy | 4 | 3.4% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
79 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 26 | 32.9% |
| Availability | 24 | 30.4% |
| Loud Commercials | 12 | 15.2% |
| Indecency | 8 | 10.1% |
| Equipment | 4 | 5.1% |
| Interference | 2 | 2.5% |
| Privacy | 2 | 2.5% |
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.