FCC Consumer Complaints – 2018
Introduction
In 2018, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 352097 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services. Complaints were reported across 56 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 231494 complaints.
This year included 13 days across 2 months that fell within multiple government shutdown periods. Complaint volumes during affected periods may be lower than usual.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 352097
- Months with complaint data
- 12
- Months with complaints
- 12
- Days with complaint data
- 365
- Days with complaints
- 365
- States & territories reporting
- 56
- Government shutdown days
- 13
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (231494)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (41683)
Monthly complaint activity
Monthly complaint volumes varied during the year, with 2 months including government shutdown days. The average was 29341.4 complaints per month, while the highest monthly total was 33085 complaints in October 2018. 7 months recorded more complaints than the yearly monthly average.
Each bar represents one month of the year. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded in 2018 show 352097 complaints originating from 17814 cities across 56 states and territories. The distribution of complaints was relatively even, with no single state or territory contributing a dominant share. Despite the overall distribution, a notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 1561 of the 1697 complaints recorded in the state.
The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this year, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 41683 | 11.8% |
| Texas | 27481 | 7.8% |
| Florida | 26590 | 7.6% |
| New York | 20599 | 5.9% |
| Pennsylvania | 13920 | 4.0% |
| Ohio | 13502 | 3.8% |
| Illinois | 12676 | 3.6% |
| New Jersey | 12009 | 3.4% |
| Georgia | 10828 | 3.1% |
| Virginia | 10816 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 161099 | 45.8% |
Location highlight
Washington accounted for nearly all complaints recorded in District of Columbia.
What the complaints were about
A total of 7 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded during the year. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 282481 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 282481 | 80.2% |
| TV | 31942 | 9.1% |
| Internet | 31182 | 8.9% |
| Radio | 5202 | 1.5% |
| Accessibility | 566 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 546 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 178 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
282481 complaints were recorded in this category during the year, representing 80.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 231494 | 82.0% |
| Billing | 19558 | 6.9% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 8475 | 3.0% |
| Equipment | 7361 | 2.6% |
| Privacy | 4453 | 1.6% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 3395 | 1.2% |
| Junk Faxes | 2962 | 1.0% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 2361 | 0.8% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 1876 | 0.7% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 251 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 150 | 0.1% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 141 | 0.0% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
TV complaints
31942 complaints were recorded in this category during the year, representing 9.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 13789 | 43.2% |
| Availability | 6124 | 19.2% |
| Indecency | 3626 | 11.4% |
| Loud Commercials | 3381 | 10.6% |
| Equipment | 3111 | 9.7% |
| Interference | 1292 | 4.0% |
| Privacy | 524 | 1.6% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 93 | 0.3% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Internet complaints
31182 complaints were recorded in this category during the year, representing 8.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 9885 | 31.7% |
| Availability | 7080 | 22.7% |
| Speed | 5608 | 18.0% |
| Equipment | 3203 | 10.3% |
| Interference | 2476 | 7.9% |
| Privacy | 2400 | 7.7% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 529 | 1.7% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
Radio complaints
5202 complaints were recorded in this category during the year, representing 1.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 1766 | 33.9% |
| Indecency | 1572 | 30.2% |
| Pirate Radio | 802 | 15.4% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 312 | 6.0% |
| Availability | 305 | 5.9% |
| Equipment | 285 | 5.5% |
| Billing | 160 | 3.1% |
Interference and Indecency were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Accessibility complaints
566 complaints were recorded in this category during the year, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning on TV | 248 | 43.8% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 151 | 26.7% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 74 | 13.1% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 21 | 3.7% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 8 | 1.4% |
| Video Description | 7 | 1.2% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 6 | 1.1% |
Closed Captioning on TV and Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Emergency complaints
546 complaints were recorded in this category during the year, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 194 | 35.5% |
| Other | 154 | 28.2% |
| Phone | 103 | 18.9% |
| Tower | 93 | 17.0% |
Interference and Other were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Request for Dispute Assistance complaints
178 complaints were recorded in this category during the year, representing 0.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|
Unwanted calls
231494 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 65.7% of all complaints. Reports referenced both caller ID numbers and business contact numbers, with number tables shown where meaningful patterns are present.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (800) 945-2000 | 270 | 0.1% |
| (854) 999-4407 | 209 | 0.1% |
| (773) 273-6136 | 136 | 0.1% |
| (281) 204-0500 | 132 | 0.1% |
| (800) 847-2911 | 132 | 0.1% |
| (980) 242-3698 | 119 | 0.1% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 111 | 0.0% |
| (800) 288-2020 | 98 | 0.0% |
| (800) 772-1213 | 96 | 0.0% |
| (336) 436-9730 | 94 | 0.0% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (555) 555-5555 | 693 | 0.3% |
| (800) 847-2911 | 160 | 0.1% |
| (800) 945-2000 | 147 | 0.1% |
| (854) 999-4407 | 138 | 0.1% |
| (773) 273-6136 | 133 | 0.1% |
| (980) 242-3698 | 107 | 0.0% |
| (833) 768-7089 | 98 | 0.0% |
| (336) 436-9730 | 91 | 0.0% |
| (740) 870-0134 | 82 | 0.0% |
| (281) 204-0500 | 81 | 0.0% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (555) 555-5555 stood out as the most frequently reported business contact number.
- (800) 945-2000 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.