FCC Consumer Complaints – 18 November 2021
Introduction
A total of 865 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday, 18 November 2021, this was lower than the 881 complaints recorded the previous day. Complaints were reported across 49 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 467 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 865
- States & territories reporting
- 49
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (467)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (103)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 865 complaints were recorded on 18 November 2021, with reports originating from 579 cities in 49 states and territories. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. 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 | 103 | 11.9% |
| Texas | 76 | 8.8% |
| Florida | 68 | 7.9% |
| New York | 55 | 6.4% |
| Georgia | 31 | 3.6% |
| Ohio | 28 | 3.2% |
| Tennessee | 27 | 3.1% |
| Arizona | 26 | 3.0% |
| Maryland | 26 | 3.0% |
| Pennsylvania | 26 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 399 | 46.1% |
Location highlight
California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 70 different cities.
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 7 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 654 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 654 | 75.6% |
| Internet | 128 | 14.8% |
| TV | 68 | 7.9% |
| Radio | 9 | 1.0% |
| Accessibility | 4 | 0.5% |
| Broadband Story | 1 | 0.1% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
654 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 75.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 467 | 71.4% |
| Billing | 52 | 8.0% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 47 | 7.2% |
| Equipment | 39 | 6.0% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 22 | 3.4% |
| Junk Faxes | 8 | 1.2% |
| Privacy | 7 | 1.1% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 6 | 0.9% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 3 | 0.5% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.2% |
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
128 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 14.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 53 | 41.4% |
| Billing | 40 | 31.3% |
| Speed | 15 | 11.7% |
| Privacy | 10 | 7.8% |
| Interference | 7 | 5.5% |
| Equipment | 3 | 2.3% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
68 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 29 | 42.6% |
| Availability | 20 | 29.4% |
| Loud Commercials | 10 | 14.7% |
| Indecency | 4 | 5.9% |
| Equipment | 2 | 2.9% |
| Interference | 2 | 2.9% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.5% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
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.