FCC Consumer Complaints – March 2022
Introduction
In March 2022, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 24766 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented an increase from the 19057 complaints recorded the previous month. Complaints were reported across 55 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 13118 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 24766
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 55
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (13118)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (3285)
Daily complaint activity
The month averaged 798.9 complaints per day. The highest daily count was 1842 complaints on 29 March 2022, with 19 days recording more complaints than the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 6 March 2022, with 251 complaints, noticeably below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
The 24766 complaints recorded in March 2022 originated from 5535 cities across 55 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 90 of the 101 complaints recorded in the state.
The monthly distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 3285 | 13.3% |
| Texas | 2003 | 8.1% |
| Florida | 1756 | 7.1% |
| New York | 1719 | 6.9% |
| Ohio | 938 | 3.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 926 | 3.7% |
| Illinois | 915 | 3.7% |
| Georgia | 785 | 3.2% |
| North Carolina | 744 | 3.0% |
| Virginia | 743 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 10907 | 44.0% |
Location highlight
Complaints in District of Columbia were heavily concentrated in Washington, which accounted for the majority of reports within the state.
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded during the month related to 8 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 18918 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 18918 | 76.4% |
| Internet | 3524 | 14.2% |
| TV | 1722 | 7.0% |
| Radio | 398 | 1.6% |
| Accessibility | 102 | 0.4% |
| Emergency | 55 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 25 | 0.1% |
| Broadband Story | 22 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
18918 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 76.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 13118 | 69.3% |
| Billing | 1752 | 9.3% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 1533 | 8.1% |
| Equipment | 1003 | 5.3% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 633 | 3.3% |
| Privacy | 245 | 1.3% |
| Junk Faxes | 237 | 1.3% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 199 | 1.1% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 162 | 0.9% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 29 | 0.2% |
| Rural Call Completion | 3 | 0.0% |
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. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
Internet complaints
3524 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 14.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 1292 | 36.7% |
| Billing | 1258 | 35.7% |
| Speed | 375 | 10.6% |
| Interference | 245 | 7.0% |
| Privacy | 198 | 5.6% |
| Equipment | 155 | 4.4% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
1722 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 7.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 560 | 32.5% |
| Availability | 441 | 25.6% |
| Indecency | 300 | 17.4% |
| Loud Commercials | 253 | 14.7% |
| Equipment | 89 | 5.2% |
| Interference | 40 | 2.3% |
| Privacy | 31 | 1.8% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability and Indecency.
Radio complaints
398 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 136 | 34.2% |
| Pirate Radio | 81 | 20.4% |
| Availability | 80 | 20.1% |
| Indecency | 49 | 12.3% |
| Equipment | 28 | 7.0% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 13 | 3.3% |
| Billing | 8 | 2.0% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Interference, Pirate Radio and Availability.
Accessibility complaints
102 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 27 | 26.5% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 23 | 22.5% |
| Closed Captioning on TV | 15 | 14.7% |
| Video Description | 3 | 2.9% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 2 | 2.0% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 2 | 2.0% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 2 | 2.0% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS), Closed Captioning over the Internet and Closed Captioning on TV.
Emergency complaints
55 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 28 | 50.9% |
| Phone | 14 | 25.5% |
| Other | 7 | 12.7% |
| Tower | 6 | 10.9% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Interference and Phone, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Unwanted calls
13118 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 53% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (404) 595-9819 | 16 | 0.1% |
| (404) 962-0498 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (417) 212-6325 | 6 | 0.0% |
| (417) 215-2671 | 5 | 0.0% |
| (720) 204-7402 | 5 | 0.0% |
| (778) 222-0815 | 5 | 0.0% |
| (844) 428-1804 | 5 | 0.0% |
| (888) 315-0230 | 5 | 0.0% |
| (270) 833-1611 | 4 | 0.0% |
| (320) 227-6006 | 4 | 0.0% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (949) 603-3852 | 17 | 0.1% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (949) 272-9292 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (717) 910-6476 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (888) 402-6918 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (312) 339-1227 | 6 | 0.0% |
| (646) 627-6572 | 6 | 0.0% |
| (708) 398-0383 | 6 | 0.0% |
| (949) 603-3846 | 6 | 0.0% |
| (352) 900-2564 | 5 | 0.0% |
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.
- (949) 603-3852 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- (404) 595-9819 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.