FCC Consumer Complaints – 20 January 2022

Introduction

The Federal Communications Commission recorded 883 consumer complaints on 20 January 2022 relating to telecommunications services, this was lower than the 941 complaints recorded the previous day. The complaints came from 49 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 441 complaints recorded.

Key statistics

Total complaints
883
States & territories reporting
49
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (441)
Most reported state/territory
California (117)

Where the complaints came from

A total of 883 complaints were recorded on 20 January 2022, with reports originating from 623 cities in 49 states and territories. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.

The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this date, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.

State/Territory Complaints
California 117 13.3%
Texas 68 7.7%
Florida 64 7.2%
New York 59 6.7%
Pennsylvania 36 4.1%
New Jersey 29 3.3%
Colorado 25 2.8%
Michigan 25 2.8%
North Carolina 25 2.8%
Illinois 24 2.7%
Other states and territories 407 46.1%

What the complaints were about

The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 8 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 637 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 637 72.1%
Internet 156 17.7%
TV 70 7.9%
Radio 11 1.2%
Emergency 5 0.6%
Request for Dispute Assistance 2 0.2%
Accessibility 1 0.1%
Broadband Story 1 0.1%

Phone complaints

637 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 72.1% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 441 69.2%
Billing 75 11.8%
Availability (including rural call completion) 46 7.2%
Equipment 30 4.7%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 23 3.6%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 7 1.1%
Privacy 7 1.1%
Interference (including signal jammers) 4 0.6%
Junk Faxes 4 0.6%

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.

Internet complaints

156 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 17.7% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 58 37.2%
Billing 56 35.9%
Speed 14 9.0%
Equipment 10 6.4%
Interference 10 6.4%
Privacy 8 5.1%

Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.

TV complaints

70 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.9% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 27 38.6%
Availability 16 22.9%
Loud Commercials 14 20.0%
Indecency 6 8.6%
Equipment 5 7.1%
Privacy 1 1.4%

Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.

Unwanted calls

A total of 441 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 49.9% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact numbers are shown below where sufficient data is available.

Most reported business contact numbers

Telephone number Complaints Share
(866) 349-0824 5 1.1%
(866) 459-3148 3 0.7%
(605) 865-8590 2 0.5%
(833) 382-2440 2 0.5%
(866) 699-3085 2 0.5%
(949) 365-4020 2 0.5%
(202) 990-5034 1 0.2%
(205) 690-2134 1 0.2%
(207) 501-5184 1 0.2%
(208) 470-5579 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.
  • (866) 349-0824 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
  • Reports were spread across many different caller ID numbers, with no single number dominating.
Page last updated: 21 January 2022 with FCC complaints data from 20 January 2022.

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.