FCC Consumer Complaints – 4 December 2021

Introduction

On Saturday, 4 December 2021, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 377 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume fell from 803 complaints the day before. Reports were received from 45 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 164 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
377
States & territories reporting
45
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (164)
Most reported state/territory
California (58)

Where the complaints came from

On 4 December 2021, the 377 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 272 cities across 45 states and territories. Activity was spread across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a substantial share of complaints. 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 58 15.4%
Texas 39 10.3%
New York 27 7.2%
Florida 23 6.1%
Illinois 14 3.7%
North Carolina 14 3.7%
Nevada 14 3.7%
Ohio 14 3.7%
Georgia 13 3.4%
Maryland 12 3.2%
Other states and territories 149 39.5%

What the complaints were about

A total of 6 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 259 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 259 68.7%
Internet 59 15.6%
TV 44 11.7%
Radio 12 3.2%
Broadband Story 2 0.5%
Request for Dispute Assistance 1 0.3%

Phone complaints

259 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 68.7% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 164 63.3%
Billing 38 14.7%
Equipment 19 7.3%
Availability (including rural call completion) 11 4.2%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 10 3.9%
Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) 5 1.9%
Junk Faxes 4 1.5%
Interference (including signal jammers) 3 1.2%
Privacy 3 1.2%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 2 0.8%

As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).

Internet complaints

59 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.6% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 21 35.6%
Availability 19 32.2%
Speed 6 10.2%
Interference 5 8.5%
Equipment 4 6.8%
Privacy 4 6.8%

Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.

TV complaints

44 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.7% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 15 34.1%
Billing 11 25.0%
Loud Commercials 7 15.9%
Equipment 5 11.4%
Indecency 4 9.1%
Interference 2 4.5%

Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Availability, Billing and Loud Commercials.

Page last updated: 5 December 2021 with FCC complaints data from 4 December 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.