FCC Consumer Complaints – 15 March 2022

Introduction

On Tuesday, 15 March 2022, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 916 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented an increase from the 766 complaints recorded the previous day. Reports were received from 51 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 473 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
916
States & territories reporting
51
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (473)
Most reported state/territory
California (120)

Where the complaints came from

A total of 916 complaints were recorded on 15 March 2022, with reports originating from 590 cities in 51 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.

The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.

State/Territory Complaints
California 120 13.1%
Texas 75 8.2%
Florida 58 6.3%
New York 57 6.2%
Illinois 40 4.4%
Ohio 38 4.1%
Pennsylvania 32 3.5%
Georgia 31 3.4%
North Carolina 28 3.1%
Maryland 27 2.9%
Other states and territories 406 44.3%

What the complaints were about

A total of 7 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 699 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 699 76.3%
Internet 127 13.9%
TV 63 6.9%
Radio 21 2.3%
Emergency 3 0.3%
Accessibility 2 0.2%
Request for Dispute Assistance 1 0.1%

Phone complaints

699 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 76.3% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 473 67.7%
Billing 67 9.6%
Availability (including rural call completion) 52 7.4%
Equipment 39 5.6%
Junk Faxes 23 3.3%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 23 3.3%
Privacy 13 1.9%
Interference (including signal jammers) 6 0.9%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 3 0.4%

As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.

Internet complaints

127 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 13.9% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 47 37.0%
Availability 43 33.9%
Speed 14 11.0%
Interference 10 7.9%
Equipment 7 5.5%
Privacy 6 4.7%

The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.

TV complaints

63 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.9% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 19 30.2%
Billing 19 30.2%
Indecency 11 17.5%
Loud Commercials 6 9.5%
Equipment 5 7.9%
Privacy 2 3.2%
Interference 1 1.6%

The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.

Page last updated: 16 March 2022 with FCC complaints data from 15 March 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.