FCC Consumer Complaints – 19 December 2021
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 262 consumer complaints on Sunday, 19 December 2021 relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 411 complaints recorded the previous day. Complaints were reported across 41 states and territories, and California generated the highest number of submissions with 38 complaints. Complaints relating to Unwanted Calls were marginally higher than for other issue types.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 262
- States & territories reporting
- 41
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (87)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (38)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 262 complaints were recorded on 19 December 2021, with reports originating from 204 cities in 41 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 | 38 | 14.5% |
| New York | 19 | 7.3% |
| Texas | 17 | 6.5% |
| Florida | 16 | 6.1% |
| Nevada | 14 | 5.3% |
| Virginia | 11 | 4.2% |
| North Carolina | 10 | 3.8% |
| Georgia | 9 | 3.4% |
| Massachusetts | 9 | 3.4% |
| New Jersey | 9 | 3.4% |
| Other states and territories | 109 | 41.6% |
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 156 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 156 | 59.5% |
| Internet | 57 | 21.8% |
| TV | 36 | 13.7% |
| Radio | 6 | 2.3% |
| Broadband Story | 4 | 1.5% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.8% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.4% |
Phone complaints
156 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 59.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 87 | 55.8% |
| Billing | 32 | 20.5% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 10 | 6.4% |
| Equipment | 9 | 5.8% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 6 | 3.8% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 5 | 3.2% |
| Privacy | 4 | 2.6% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 2 | 1.3% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.6% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail 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
57 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 21.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 16 | 28.1% |
| Billing | 14 | 24.6% |
| Speed | 11 | 19.3% |
| Equipment | 7 | 12.3% |
| Interference | 6 | 10.5% |
| Privacy | 3 | 5.3% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Availability, Billing and Speed among the most common.
TV complaints
36 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 13.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 15 | 41.7% |
| Loud Commercials | 10 | 27.8% |
| Billing | 7 | 19.4% |
| Indecency | 3 | 8.3% |
| Equipment | 1 | 2.8% |
Availability and Loud Commercials accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
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.