FCC Consumer Complaints – 16 November 2021
Introduction
On 16 November 2021, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 879 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this was higher than the 830 complaints recorded the previous day. Reports were received from 50 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 485 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 879
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (485)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (97)
Where the complaints came from
The 879 complaints recorded on 16 November 2021 were submitted from 589 cities across 50 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. 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 | 97 | 11.0% |
| Texas | 68 | 7.7% |
| Florida | 56 | 6.4% |
| Georgia | 55 | 6.3% |
| Maryland | 48 | 5.5% |
| New York | 42 | 4.8% |
| North Carolina | 34 | 3.9% |
| Ohio | 34 | 3.9% |
| Pennsylvania | 28 | 3.2% |
| Illinois | 27 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 390 | 44.4% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 7 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 658 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 658 | 74.9% |
| Internet | 146 | 16.6% |
| TV | 55 | 6.3% |
| Radio | 13 | 1.5% |
| Accessibility | 4 | 0.5% |
| Broadband Story | 2 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
658 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 74.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 485 | 73.7% |
| Billing | 50 | 7.6% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 46 | 7.0% |
| Equipment | 25 | 3.8% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 24 | 3.6% |
| Junk Faxes | 9 | 1.4% |
| Privacy | 7 | 1.1% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 6 | 0.9% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 6 | 0.9% |
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. A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment among the most common.
Internet complaints
146 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 16.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 53 | 36.3% |
| Billing | 48 | 32.9% |
| Equipment | 14 | 9.6% |
| Interference | 14 | 9.6% |
| Speed | 11 | 7.5% |
| Privacy | 6 | 4.1% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
55 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 21 | 38.2% |
| Availability | 15 | 27.3% |
| Loud Commercials | 11 | 20.0% |
| Indecency | 4 | 7.3% |
| Equipment | 2 | 3.6% |
| Interference | 2 | 3.6% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
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.