FCC Consumer Complaints – December 2021
Introduction
In December 2021, 18790 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented a decline from the 19988 complaints recorded the previous month. Complaints were reported across 56 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 9027 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 18790
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 56
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (9027)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (2385)
Daily complaint activity
Daily complaint activity averaged 606.1 complaints per day during the month. The busiest day was 9 December 2021, when 881 complaints were recorded, and 21 days were above the monthly daily average. The lowest daily total was 151 complaints on 25 December 2021, well below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
The 18790 complaints recorded in December 2021 originated from 4871 cities across 56 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. At the city level, a significant concentration was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 65 of the 71 complaints recorded.
The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this month, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 2385 | 12.7% |
| Texas | 1525 | 8.1% |
| Florida | 1418 | 7.5% |
| New York | 1192 | 6.3% |
| North Carolina | 667 | 3.5% |
| Georgia | 666 | 3.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 602 | 3.2% |
| Ohio | 601 | 3.2% |
| Illinois | 573 | 3.0% |
| Michigan | 541 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 8604 | 45.8% |
Location highlights
- Complaint activity in District of Columbia was almost entirely concentrated in Washington.
- California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 498 different cities.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the month were spread across 8 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 13512 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 13512 | 71.9% |
| Internet | 3026 | 16.1% |
| TV | 1658 | 8.8% |
| Radio | 300 | 1.6% |
| Accessibility | 120 | 0.6% |
| Broadband Story | 103 | 0.5% |
| Emergency | 53 | 0.3% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 18 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
13512 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 71.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 9027 | 66.8% |
| Billing | 1481 | 11.0% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 1067 | 7.9% |
| Equipment | 724 | 5.4% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 484 | 3.6% |
| Privacy | 202 | 1.5% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 180 | 1.3% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 144 | 1.1% |
| Junk Faxes | 141 | 1.0% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 44 | 0.3% |
| Rural Call Completion | 8 | 0.1% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided 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
3026 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 16.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1083 | 35.8% |
| Availability | 1019 | 33.7% |
| Speed | 349 | 11.5% |
| Interference | 207 | 6.8% |
| Privacy | 196 | 6.5% |
| Equipment | 171 | 5.7% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
1658 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 8.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 570 | 34.4% |
| Availability | 464 | 28.0% |
| Loud Commercials | 262 | 15.8% |
| Indecency | 203 | 12.2% |
| Equipment | 87 | 5.2% |
| Interference | 43 | 2.6% |
| Privacy | 20 | 1.2% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Radio complaints
300 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 89 | 29.7% |
| Interference | 89 | 29.7% |
| Indecency | 47 | 15.7% |
| Pirate Radio | 42 | 14.0% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 16 | 5.3% |
| Billing | 10 | 3.3% |
| Equipment | 7 | 2.3% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Availability, Interference and Indecency among the most common.
Accessibility complaints
120 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 42 | 35.0% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 24 | 20.0% |
| Closed Captioning on TV | 23 | 19.2% |
| Video Description | 9 | 7.5% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 2 | 1.7% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 1 | 0.8% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS), Closed Captioning over the Internet and Closed Captioning on TV among the most common.
Broadband Story complaints
103 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|
Emergency complaints
53 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 22 | 41.5% |
| Phone | 18 | 34.0% |
| Other | 11 | 20.8% |
| Tower | 2 | 3.8% |
Interference and Phone accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
A total of 9027 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 48% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (510) 264-7564 | 15 | 0.2% |
| (585) 883-3474 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (775) 242-3057 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (800) 374-9700 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (585) 833-3474 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (818) 741-2136 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (833) 207-9518 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (833) 308-0105 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (877) 906-9121 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (984) 999-9240 | 6 | 0.1% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (555) 555-5555 | 33 | 0.4% |
| (999) 999-9999 | 22 | 0.2% |
| (949) 313-4441 | 16 | 0.2% |
| (510) 264-7564 | 15 | 0.2% |
| (352) 900-2564 | 14 | 0.2% |
| (866) 201-3259 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (866) 699-3104 | 11 | 0.1% |
| (949) 365-4020 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (714) 694-7603 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (888) 511-0275 | 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.
- (555) 555-5555 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- (510) 264-7564 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.