FCC Consumer Complaints – 31 December 2021
Introduction
On Friday, 31 December 2021, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 388 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume fell from 687 complaints the previous day. The complaints came from 48 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 159 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 388
- States & territories reporting
- 48
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (159)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (62)
Where the complaints came from
The 388 complaints recorded on 31 December 2021 were submitted from 307 cities across 48 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 62 | 16.0% |
| Florida | 37 | 9.5% |
| Texas | 27 | 7.0% |
| New York | 25 | 6.4% |
| Virginia | 22 | 5.7% |
| Georgia | 16 | 4.1% |
| Washington | 14 | 3.6% |
| Illinois | 13 | 3.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 13 | 3.4% |
| Maryland | 11 | 2.8% |
| Other states and territories | 148 | 38.1% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 7 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 270 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 270 | 69.6% |
| Internet | 75 | 19.3% |
| TV | 35 | 9.0% |
| Radio | 4 | 1.0% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.5% |
| Broadband Story | 1 | 0.3% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.3% |
Phone complaints
270 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 69.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 159 | 58.9% |
| Billing | 32 | 11.9% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 26 | 9.6% |
| Equipment | 18 | 6.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 17 | 6.3% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 6 | 2.2% |
| Privacy | 5 | 1.9% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 3 | 1.1% |
| Junk Faxes | 2 | 0.7% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 2 | 0.7% |
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. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
Internet complaints
75 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 19.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 30 | 40.0% |
| Availability | 20 | 26.7% |
| Interference | 9 | 12.0% |
| Speed | 9 | 12.0% |
| Equipment | 4 | 5.3% |
| Privacy | 3 | 4.0% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
35 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 14 | 40.0% |
| Billing | 8 | 22.9% |
| Loud Commercials | 8 | 22.9% |
| Indecency | 3 | 8.6% |
| Interference | 1 | 2.9% |
Availability and Billing 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.