FCC Consumer Complaints – 18 February 2022
Introduction
On Friday, 18 February 2022, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 875 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this was lower than the 886 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 51 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 439 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 875
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (439)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (96)
Where the complaints came from
The 875 complaints recorded on 18 February 2022 originated from 595 cities across 51 states and territories. The distribution of complaints was relatively even, with no single state or territory contributing a dominant share. At the city level, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share of the total.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 96 | 11.0% |
| New York | 66 | 7.5% |
| Florida | 64 | 7.3% |
| Texas | 57 | 6.5% |
| Georgia | 51 | 5.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 41 | 4.7% |
| Massachusetts | 38 | 4.3% |
| Illinois | 33 | 3.8% |
| North Carolina | 33 | 3.8% |
| Michigan | 28 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 367 | 41.9% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 7 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 642 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 642 | 73.4% |
| Internet | 142 | 16.2% |
| TV | 69 | 7.9% |
| Radio | 16 | 1.8% |
| Emergency | 3 | 0.3% |
| Broadband Story | 2 | 0.2% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
642 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 73.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 439 | 68.4% |
| Billing | 60 | 9.3% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 53 | 8.3% |
| Equipment | 37 | 5.8% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 16 | 2.5% |
| Privacy | 15 | 2.3% |
| Junk Faxes | 12 | 1.9% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 6 | 0.9% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 3 | 0.5% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.2% |
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. 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
142 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 16.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 54 | 38.0% |
| Billing | 50 | 35.2% |
| Speed | 20 | 14.1% |
| Interference | 9 | 6.3% |
| Equipment | 7 | 4.9% |
| Privacy | 2 | 1.4% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
69 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 25 | 36.2% |
| Availability | 14 | 20.3% |
| Loud Commercials | 11 | 15.9% |
| Indecency | 10 | 14.5% |
| Equipment | 6 | 8.7% |
| Interference | 2 | 2.9% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.4% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability and Loud Commercials among the most common.
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.