FCC Consumer Complaints – 16 September 2022

Introduction

The Federal Communications Commission recorded 920 consumer complaints on Friday, 16 September 2022 relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume fell from 927 complaints the day before. The complaints came from 48 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 427 complaints recorded.

Key statistics

Total complaints
920
States & territories reporting
48
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (427)
Most reported state/territory
California (112)

Where the complaints came from

The 920 complaints recorded on 16 September 2022 originated from 620 cities across 48 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. At the city level, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share of the total.

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 112 12.2%
Texas 79 8.6%
Florida 72 7.8%
New York 40 4.3%
Colorado 33 3.6%
Pennsylvania 33 3.6%
North Carolina 31 3.4%
Washington 30 3.3%
Georgia 28 3.0%
Illinois 28 3.0%
Other states and territories 431 46.8%

What the complaints were about

A total of 7 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. Phone was the most reported category, with 675 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 675 73.4%
Internet 179 19.5%
TV 50 5.4%
Radio 9 1.0%
Request for Dispute Assistance 4 0.4%
Accessibility 2 0.2%
Emergency 1 0.1%

Phone complaints

675 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 73.4% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 427 63.3%
Billing 82 12.1%
Availability (including rural call completion) 67 9.9%
Equipment 40 5.9%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 31 4.6%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 12 1.8%
Privacy 10 1.5%
Interference (including signal jammers) 2 0.3%
Junk Faxes 2 0.3%
Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) 1 0.1%

Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.

Internet complaints

179 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 19.5% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 73 40.8%
Billing 56 31.3%
Speed 23 12.8%
Interference 14 7.8%
Equipment 7 3.9%
Privacy 6 3.4%

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

TV complaints

50 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 5.4% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 20 40.0%
Availability 17 34.0%
Loud Commercials 11 22.0%
Equipment 1 2.0%
Indecency 1 2.0%

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

Page last updated: 17 September 2022 with FCC complaints data from 16 September 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.