FCC Consumer Complaints – September 2022
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 22436 consumer complaints in September 2022 relating to telecommunications services, this was lower than the 24782 complaints recorded the month before. Reports were received from 55 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 9577 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 22436
- Days with complaint data
- 30
- Days with complaints
- 30
- States & territories reporting
- 55
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (9577)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (3091)
Daily complaint activity
Across the month, the FCC recorded an average of 747.9 complaints per day. The highest daily total was 1038 complaints on 22 September 2022, while 21 days recorded more complaints than the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 25 September 2022, with 326 complaints, noticeably below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded in September 2022 show 22436 complaints originating from 5368 cities across 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 83 complaints recorded.
The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this month, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 3091 | 13.8% |
| Texas | 1672 | 7.5% |
| Florida | 1659 | 7.4% |
| New York | 1427 | 6.4% |
| Illinois | 850 | 3.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 808 | 3.6% |
| Ohio | 768 | 3.4% |
| Georgia | 733 | 3.3% |
| North Carolina | 706 | 3.1% |
| Michigan | 640 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 10008 | 44.6% |
Location highlight
A large share of complaints in District of Columbia originated from Washington, which accounted for most reports within the state.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the month fell into 8 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 15762 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 15762 | 70.3% |
| Internet | 4668 | 20.8% |
| TV | 1442 | 6.4% |
| Radio | 331 | 1.5% |
| Accessibility | 91 | 0.4% |
| Emergency | 68 | 0.3% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 38 | 0.2% |
| Broadband Story | 36 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
15762 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 70.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 9577 | 60.8% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 1884 | 12.0% |
| Billing | 1825 | 11.6% |
| Equipment | 951 | 6.0% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 610 | 3.9% |
| Privacy | 258 | 1.6% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 229 | 1.5% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 215 | 1.4% |
| Junk Faxes | 163 | 1.0% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 38 | 0.2% |
| Rural Call Completion | 1 | 0.0% |
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 Availability (including rural call completion), Billing and Equipment among the most common.
Internet complaints
4668 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 20.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 1874 | 40.1% |
| Billing | 1618 | 34.7% |
| Speed | 360 | 7.7% |
| Interference | 300 | 6.4% |
| Equipment | 284 | 6.1% |
| Privacy | 232 | 5.0% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
1442 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 6.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 481 | 33.4% |
| Availability | 370 | 25.7% |
| Loud Commercials | 265 | 18.4% |
| Indecency | 189 | 13.1% |
| Equipment | 76 | 5.3% |
| Interference | 43 | 3.0% |
| Privacy | 14 | 1.0% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability and Loud Commercials among the most common.
Radio complaints
331 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Indecency | 81 | 24.5% |
| Interference | 78 | 23.6% |
| Availability | 74 | 22.4% |
| Pirate Radio | 48 | 14.5% |
| Equipment | 30 | 9.1% |
| Billing | 8 | 2.4% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 8 | 2.4% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Indecency, Interference and Availability among the most common.
Accessibility complaints
91 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning on TV | 27 | 29.7% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 25 | 27.5% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 12 | 13.2% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 1 | 1.1% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 1 | 1.1% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Closed Captioning on TV, Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) and Closed Captioning over the Internet among the most common.
Emergency complaints
68 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 28 | 41.2% |
| Phone | 19 | 27.9% |
| Tower | 12 | 17.6% |
| Other | 9 | 13.2% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Interference and Phone, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Unwanted calls
9577 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 42.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (888) 594-6814 | 29 | 0.3% |
| (214) 446-7163 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (315) 280-9780 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (341) 200-6609 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (315) 280-9711 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (812) 813-6595 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (888) 654-0019 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (315) 280-9779 | 4 | 0.0% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 4 | 0.0% |
| (615) 671-3659 | 4 | 0.0% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (555) 555-5555 | 17 | 0.2% |
| (818) 798-9757 | 13 | 0.1% |
| (800) 353-0877 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (888) 523-3317 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (202) 951-1148 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (888) 261-0504 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (888) 681-1436 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (949) 787-5311 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (855) 352-3282 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (949) 200-3125 | 5 | 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.
- (555) 555-5555 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- (888) 594-6814 stood out as the most frequently reported caller ID number.
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.