FCC Consumer Complaints – April 2022
Introduction
A total of 22246 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission in April 2022, this represented a decline from the 24766 complaints recorded the month before. Complaints were reported across 55 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 11531 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 22246
- Days with complaint data
- 30
- Days with complaints
- 30
- States & territories reporting
- 55
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (11531)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (3125)
Daily complaint activity
The month averaged 741.5 complaints per day. The highest daily count was 1089 complaints on 1 April 2022, with 20 days recording more complaints than the monthly daily average. The lowest daily total was 223 complaints on 17 April 2022, well below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
A total of 22246 complaints were recorded in April 2022, with reports originating from 5196 cities in 55 states and territories. The distribution of complaints was relatively even, with no single state or territory contributing a dominant share. At the city level, a significant concentration was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 70 of the 76 complaints recorded.
The table below summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory during the month, ordered by total reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 3125 | 14.0% |
| Texas | 1822 | 8.2% |
| Florida | 1615 | 7.3% |
| New York | 1501 | 6.7% |
| Illinois | 823 | 3.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 787 | 3.5% |
| North Carolina | 778 | 3.5% |
| Georgia | 777 | 3.5% |
| Ohio | 773 | 3.5% |
| Virginia | 588 | 2.6% |
| Other states and territories | 9625 | 43.3% |
Location highlight
Washington accounted for nearly all complaints recorded in District of Columbia.
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 16181 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 16181 | 72.7% |
| Internet | 3797 | 17.1% |
| TV | 1728 | 7.8% |
| Radio | 342 | 1.5% |
| Accessibility | 106 | 0.5% |
| Emergency | 55 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 20 | 0.1% |
| Broadband Story | 17 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
16181 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 72.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 11531 | 71.3% |
| Billing | 1526 | 9.4% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 1177 | 7.3% |
| Equipment | 706 | 4.4% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 493 | 3.0% |
| Privacy | 224 | 1.4% |
| Junk Faxes | 174 | 1.1% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 164 | 1.0% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 144 | 0.9% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 29 | 0.2% |
| Rural Call Completion | 4 | 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. 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
3797 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 17.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 1384 | 36.4% |
| Billing | 1274 | 33.6% |
| Speed | 410 | 10.8% |
| Interference | 265 | 7.0% |
| Privacy | 238 | 6.3% |
| Equipment | 226 | 6.0% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
1728 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 7.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 555 | 32.1% |
| Billing | 519 | 30.0% |
| Loud Commercials | 268 | 15.5% |
| Indecency | 238 | 13.8% |
| Equipment | 79 | 4.6% |
| Interference | 37 | 2.1% |
| Privacy | 23 | 1.3% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Radio complaints
342 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 106 | 31.0% |
| Availability | 70 | 20.5% |
| Pirate Radio | 68 | 19.9% |
| Indecency | 50 | 14.6% |
| Billing | 20 | 5.8% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 16 | 4.7% |
| Equipment | 11 | 3.2% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Interference, Availability and Pirate Radio among the most common.
Accessibility complaints
106 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning on TV | 31 | 29.2% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 27 | 25.5% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 21 | 19.8% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 4 | 3.8% |
| Video Description | 2 | 1.9% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 1 | 0.9% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 1 | 0.9% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Closed Captioning on TV, Closed Captioning over the Internet and Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) among the most common.
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 | 19 | 34.5% |
| Tower | 7 | 12.7% |
| Other | 1 | 1.8% |
Interference and Phone were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Unwanted calls
There were 11531 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 51.8% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact number details are listed below where there is enough concentration to make the data meaningful.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (786) 314-9850 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (833) 441-6776 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (855) 206-6970 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (954) 676-1502 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (405) 543-2682 | 5 | 0.0% |
| (561) 592-6367 | 5 | 0.0% |
| (630) 712-1517 | 5 | 0.0% |
| (772) 262-3585 | 5 | 0.0% |
| (772) 262-3595 | 5 | 0.0% |
| (786) 224-8704 | 5 | 0.0% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (949) 603-3852 | 29 | 0.3% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 28 | 0.2% |
| (213) 442-7162 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (855) 206-6970 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (877) 463-7593 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (999) 999-9999 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (772) 262-3584 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (855) 569-0509 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (888) 402-6918 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (630) 712-1517 | 7 | 0.1% |
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.
- Several caller ID numbers were reported multiple times, with no single number clearly ahead of the others.
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.