FCC Consumer Complaints – 20 May 2022

Introduction

On Friday, 20 May 2022, 780 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was lower than the 866 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 50 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 362 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
780
States & territories reporting
50
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (362)
Most reported state/territory
California (111)

Where the complaints came from

The 780 complaints recorded on 20 May 2022 were submitted from 549 cities across 50 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.

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 111 14.2%
Florida 61 7.8%
Texas 50 6.4%
New York 41 5.3%
Ohio 39 5.0%
North Carolina 27 3.5%
Virginia 27 3.5%
Illinois 26 3.3%
Missouri 26 3.3%
Pennsylvania 25 3.2%
Other states and territories 347 44.5%

What the complaints were about

Complaints recorded on this date related to 7 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 541 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 541 69.4%
Internet 176 22.6%
TV 45 5.8%
Radio 12 1.5%
Accessibility 4 0.5%
Broadband Story 1 0.1%
Emergency 1 0.1%

Phone complaints

541 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 69.4% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 362 66.9%
Billing 55 10.2%
Equipment 39 7.2%
Availability (including rural call completion) 35 6.5%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 18 3.3%
Privacy 9 1.7%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 8 1.5%
Interference (including signal jammers) 8 1.5%
Junk Faxes 6 1.1%
Rural Call Completion 1 0.2%

As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion) among the most common.

Internet complaints

176 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 22.6% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 72 40.9%
Billing 52 29.5%
Speed 16 9.1%
Equipment 13 7.4%
Privacy 13 7.4%
Interference 10 5.7%

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

TV complaints

45 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 5.8% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 19 42.2%
Loud Commercials 13 28.9%
Availability 9 20.0%
Indecency 2 4.4%
Interference 2 4.4%

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

Page last updated: 21 May 2022 with FCC complaints data from 20 May 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.