FCC Consumer Complaints – October 2022
Introduction
A total of 21681 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission in October 2022, this represented a decline from the 22436 complaints recorded the month before. Reports were received from 55 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 8793 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 21681
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 55
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (8793)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (2740)
Daily complaint activity
The month averaged 699.4 complaints per day. The highest daily count was 941 complaints on 5 October 2022, with 20 days recording more complaints than the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 23 October 2022, with 309 complaints, noticeably below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
Across 5316 cities in 55 states and territories, a total of 21681 complaints were recorded in October 2022. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 68 of the 82 complaints recorded in the state.
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 | 2740 | 12.6% |
| Florida | 1740 | 8.0% |
| Texas | 1693 | 7.8% |
| New York | 1382 | 6.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 857 | 4.0% |
| Illinois | 828 | 3.8% |
| Georgia | 708 | 3.3% |
| Ohio | 707 | 3.3% |
| North Carolina | 701 | 3.2% |
| Michigan | 631 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 9665 | 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
Complaints recorded during the month related to 8 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 14828 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 14828 | 68.4% |
| Internet | 4653 | 21.5% |
| TV | 1557 | 7.2% |
| Radio | 455 | 2.1% |
| Accessibility | 88 | 0.4% |
| Emergency | 53 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 34 | 0.2% |
| Broadband Story | 13 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
14828 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 68.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 8793 | 59.3% |
| Billing | 1831 | 12.3% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 1600 | 10.8% |
| Equipment | 947 | 6.4% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 641 | 4.3% |
| Privacy | 300 | 2.0% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 260 | 1.8% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 216 | 1.5% |
| Junk Faxes | 185 | 1.2% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 47 | 0.3% |
| Rural Call Completion | 3 | 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. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
Internet complaints
4653 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 21.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 1839 | 39.5% |
| Billing | 1630 | 35.0% |
| Speed | 388 | 8.3% |
| Interference | 283 | 6.1% |
| Equipment | 273 | 5.9% |
| Privacy | 240 | 5.2% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
1557 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 7.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 482 | 31.0% |
| Availability | 439 | 28.2% |
| Loud Commercials | 298 | 19.1% |
| Indecency | 195 | 12.5% |
| Equipment | 71 | 4.6% |
| Interference | 39 | 2.5% |
| Privacy | 23 | 1.5% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Loud Commercials.
Radio complaints
455 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 2.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 162 | 35.6% |
| Availability | 114 | 25.1% |
| Pirate Radio | 74 | 16.3% |
| Indecency | 51 | 11.2% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 28 | 6.2% |
| Billing | 13 | 2.9% |
| Equipment | 11 | 2.4% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Interference and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Accessibility complaints
88 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 25 | 28.4% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 19 | 21.6% |
| Closed Captioning on TV | 18 | 20.5% |
| Video Description | 3 | 3.4% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 2 | 2.3% |
| Equipment | 1 | 1.1% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 1 | 1.1% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Closed Captioning over the Internet, Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) and Closed Captioning on TV.
Emergency complaints
53 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 20 | 37.7% |
| Phone | 19 | 35.8% |
| Other | 9 | 17.0% |
| Tower | 5 | 9.4% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Interference and Phone, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Request for Dispute Assistance complaints
34 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|
Unwanted calls
There were 8793 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 40.6% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (877) 327-2101 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (800) 447-9239 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (323) 991-5957 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (415) 578-9066 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (713) 322-0290 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (760) 299-7795 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (213) 886-9574 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (217) 837-4095 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (248) 598-7321 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (424) 451-2035 | 5 | 0.1% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (555) 555-5555 | 22 | 0.3% |
| (949) 787-5311 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (346) 622-4148 | 11 | 0.1% |
| (888) 673-3364 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (855) 759-6191 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (213) 418-9338 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (248) 598-7321 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (619) 486-1434 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (833) 212-9897 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (833) 644-1901 | 5 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- None accounted for the largest share of unwanted call complaints by service type.
- Live Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (555) 555-5555 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- (877) 327-2101 was reported slightly more often than other caller ID numbers.
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.