FCC Consumer Complaints – 7 October 2022

Introduction

On 7 October 2022, 831 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was lower than the 879 complaints recorded the day before. Complaints were reported across 50 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 342 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
831
States & territories reporting
50
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (342)
Most reported state/territory
California (79)

Where the complaints came from

Across 587 cities in 50 states and territories, a total of 831 complaints were recorded on 7 October 2022. Complaints were spread broadly across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a significant 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 79 9.5%
Texas 65 7.8%
Florida 61 7.3%
New York 48 5.8%
Illinois 35 4.2%
Pennsylvania 34 4.1%
Maryland 30 3.6%
Michigan 29 3.5%
Ohio 28 3.4%
New Jersey 26 3.1%
Other states and territories 396 47.7%

What the complaints were about

The complaints recorded on this date fell into 6 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 553 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 553 66.5%
Internet 178 21.4%
TV 55 6.6%
Radio 39 4.7%
Accessibility 3 0.4%
Request for Dispute Assistance 3 0.4%

Phone complaints

553 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 66.5% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 342 61.8%
Billing 67 12.1%
Availability (including rural call completion) 50 9.0%
Equipment 32 5.8%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 26 4.7%
Junk Faxes 10 1.8%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 9 1.6%
Privacy 9 1.6%
Interference (including signal jammers) 7 1.3%
Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) 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, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment among the most common.

Internet complaints

178 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 21.4% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 67 37.6%
Billing 67 37.6%
Interference 16 9.0%
Speed 13 7.3%
Equipment 9 5.1%
Privacy 6 3.4%

The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.

TV complaints

55 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.6% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 18 32.7%
Loud Commercials 16 29.1%
Availability 13 23.6%
Indecency 4 7.3%
Equipment 3 5.5%
Interference 1 1.8%

The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Loud Commercials, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.

Radio complaints

39 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 4.7% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Interference 18 46.2%
Pirate Radio 9 23.1%
Indecency 5 12.8%
Availability 3 7.7%
Commercials/Promotions 3 7.7%
Equipment 1 2.6%

The largest share of complaints in this category related to Interference and Pirate Radio, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.

Page last updated: 8 October 2022 with FCC complaints data from 7 October 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.