WASHINGTON-Ironically, the two pro-consumer initiatives undertaken by the Federal Communications Commission last year led to a strong increase in consumer complaints for the fourth quarter of 2003, said the FCC’s Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau late Thursday.
“The implementation of the National Do-Not-Call Registry on Oct. 1 and the wireless local number portability rules on Nov. 24 resulted in increases in complaints during the quarter. Wireless complaints increased from 4,825 last quarter to 8,512 this quarter. Although complaint activity increased in all top wireless categories, most of the increase was attributable to number portability complaints, for which tracking commenced in late November. Wireline complaints rose from 11, 093 to 20,423 due to the activation of the National Do-Not-Call Registry, which caused Telephone Consumer Protection Act complaints to more than triple,” said CGB.
The fourth-quarter report also showed that wireless inquiries to the FCC remained consistent last fall.
While LNP was in its infancy-with the accompanying blips-when this report was filed, CGB has continued to update LNP complaints. For example, the FCC said recently it received 400 complaints in April from consumers regarding WLNP, which was the lowest number of complaints in a month since WLNP was implemented Nov. 24, bringing the total number of complaints filed with the government agency to 7,040. The FCC noted most of the complaints concerned alleged delays in porting numbers from one wireless carrier to another, with approximately 15 percent of complaints involving porting from wireline to wireless carriers.
