FCC Consumer Complaints – November 2022
Introduction
In November 2022, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 20363 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 21681 complaints recorded the previous month. Reports were received from 54 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 8653 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 20363
- Days with complaint data
- 30
- Days with complaints
- 30
- States & territories reporting
- 54
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (8653)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (2420)
Daily complaint activity
Daily complaint activity averaged 678.8 complaints per day during the month. The busiest day was 8 November 2022, when 1119 complaints were recorded, and 18 days were above the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 24 November 2022, with 247 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 5179 cities in 54 states and territories, a total of 20363 complaints were recorded in November 2022. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. At the city level, a significant concentration was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 77 of the 85 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 | 2420 | 11.9% |
| Florida | 1531 | 7.5% |
| New York | 1517 | 7.4% |
| Texas | 1455 | 7.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 776 | 3.8% |
| Illinois | 719 | 3.5% |
| North Carolina | 664 | 3.3% |
| Georgia | 621 | 3.0% |
| Ohio | 616 | 3.0% |
| Michigan | 580 | 2.8% |
| Other states and territories | 9435 | 46.3% |
Location highlight
Washington accounted for nearly all complaints recorded in District of Columbia.
What the complaints were about
A total of 8 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded during the month. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 14069 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 14069 | 69.1% |
| Internet | 4443 | 21.8% |
| TV | 1384 | 6.8% |
| Radio | 283 | 1.4% |
| Accessibility | 96 | 0.5% |
| Emergency | 45 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 37 | 0.2% |
| Broadband Story | 6 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
14069 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 69.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 8653 | 61.5% |
| Billing | 1721 | 12.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 1377 | 9.8% |
| Equipment | 848 | 6.0% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 507 | 3.6% |
| Privacy | 287 | 2.0% |
| Junk Faxes | 214 | 1.5% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 213 | 1.5% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 196 | 1.4% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 43 | 0.3% |
| 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 Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment among the most common.
Internet complaints
4443 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 21.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 1752 | 39.4% |
| Billing | 1477 | 33.2% |
| Speed | 407 | 9.2% |
| Privacy | 280 | 6.3% |
| Interference | 268 | 6.0% |
| Equipment | 259 | 5.8% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
1384 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 6.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 411 | 29.7% |
| Availability | 359 | 25.9% |
| Loud Commercials | 257 | 18.6% |
| Indecency | 194 | 14.0% |
| Equipment | 87 | 6.3% |
| Interference | 53 | 3.8% |
| Privacy | 18 | 1.3% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability and Loud Commercials among the most common.
Radio complaints
283 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 73 | 25.8% |
| Availability | 64 | 22.6% |
| Pirate Radio | 57 | 20.1% |
| Indecency | 49 | 17.3% |
| Billing | 15 | 5.3% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 13 | 4.6% |
| Equipment | 11 | 3.9% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Interference, Availability and Pirate Radio among the most common.
Accessibility complaints
96 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning on TV | 25 | 26.0% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 24 | 25.0% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 16 | 16.7% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 2 | 2.1% |
| Video Description | 2 | 2.1% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 1 | 1.0% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 1 | 1.0% |
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
45 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 20 | 44.4% |
| Phone | 12 | 26.7% |
| Tower | 8 | 17.8% |
| Other | 5 | 11.1% |
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
37 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|
Unwanted calls
8653 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 42.5% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (800) 823-2318 | 10 | 0.1% |
| (469) 962-5705 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (757) 522-1904 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (866) 412-1693 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (877) 327-2101 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (205) 460-2875 | 4 | 0.0% |
| (315) 849-0322 | 4 | 0.0% |
| (469) 962-5701 | 4 | 0.0% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 4 | 0.0% |
| (833) 791-2571 | 4 | 0.0% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (555) 555-5555 | 16 | 0.2% |
| (205) 460-2875 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (855) 759-6191 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (833) 213-4724 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (949) 787-5311 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (346) 622-4148 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (469) 962-5705 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (757) 522-1904 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (209) 298-1598 | 4 | 0.0% |
| (469) 962-5701 | 4 | 0.0% |
Key patterns
- None accounted for the largest share of unwanted call complaints by service type.
- Text Message was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (555) 555-5555 stood out as the most frequently reported business contact number.
- (800) 823-2318 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.