FCC Consumer Complaints – 15 December 2021
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 821 consumer complaints on Wednesday, 15 December 2021 relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume fell from 854 complaints the day before. 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 437 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 821
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (437)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (102)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 821 complaints were recorded on 15 December 2021, with reports originating from 531 cities in 50 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 | 102 | 12.4% |
| Texas | 74 | 9.0% |
| New York | 73 | 8.9% |
| Florida | 50 | 6.1% |
| Colorado | 46 | 5.6% |
| Michigan | 36 | 4.4% |
| Ohio | 30 | 3.7% |
| Georgia | 25 | 3.0% |
| North Carolina | 24 | 2.9% |
| Arizona | 22 | 2.7% |
| Other states and territories | 339 | 41.3% |
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 602 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 602 | 73.3% |
| Internet | 109 | 13.3% |
| TV | 64 | 7.8% |
| Broadband Story | 22 | 2.7% |
| Radio | 17 | 2.1% |
| Accessibility | 5 | 0.6% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
602 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 73.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 437 | 72.6% |
| Billing | 50 | 8.3% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 38 | 6.3% |
| Equipment | 29 | 4.8% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 11 | 1.8% |
| Privacy | 11 | 1.8% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 9 | 1.5% |
| Junk Faxes | 9 | 1.5% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 5 | 0.8% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 2 | 0.3% |
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. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
Internet complaints
109 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 13.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 40 | 36.7% |
| Availability | 36 | 33.0% |
| Speed | 14 | 12.8% |
| Interference | 8 | 7.3% |
| Privacy | 6 | 5.5% |
| Equipment | 5 | 4.6% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
64 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 19 | 29.7% |
| Billing | 19 | 29.7% |
| Indecency | 13 | 20.3% |
| Equipment | 4 | 6.3% |
| Interference | 3 | 4.7% |
| Loud Commercials | 3 | 4.7% |
| Privacy | 3 | 4.7% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Availability, Billing and Indecency.
Unwanted calls
A total of 437 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 53.2% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (585) 883-3474 | 5 | 1.1% |
| (719) 466-8233 | 3 | 0.7% |
| (562) 265-0325 | 2 | 0.5% |
| (712) 364-7328 | 2 | 0.5% |
| (877) 230-9563 | 2 | 0.5% |
| (877) 237-6279 | 2 | 0.5% |
| (914) 530-8799 | 2 | 0.5% |
| (915) 872-7411 | 2 | 0.5% |
| (202) 498-6754 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (202) 972-3090 | 1 | 0.2% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (555) 555-5555 | 13 | 3.0% |
| (719) 466-8233 | 3 | 0.7% |
| (321) 240-1690 | 2 | 0.5% |
| (800) 293-1035 | 2 | 0.5% |
| (866) 202-3044 | 2 | 0.5% |
| (949) 313-4441 | 2 | 0.5% |
| (201) 361-5940 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (208) 472-3212 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (208) 584-5828 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (213) 699-1683 | 1 | 0.2% |
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 stood out as the most frequently reported business contact number.
- (585) 883-3474 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.