FCC Consumer Complaints – December 2022
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 17906 consumer complaints in December 2022 relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 20363 complaints recorded the previous month. Complaints were reported across 55 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Unwanted Calls was reported slightly more frequently than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 17906
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 55
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (5883)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (1937)
Daily complaint activity
The month averaged 577.6 complaints per day. The highest daily count was 865 complaints on 6 December 2022, with 20 days recording more complaints than the monthly daily average. The lowest daily total was 176 complaints on 25 December 2022, well 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 December 2022 show 17906 complaints originating from 5044 cities across 55 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. Despite the overall distribution, a notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 55 of the 61 complaints recorded in the state.
The table below summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory during the month, ordered by total reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 1937 | 10.8% |
| Florida | 1386 | 7.7% |
| New York | 1356 | 7.6% |
| Texas | 1283 | 7.2% |
| Illinois | 764 | 4.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 673 | 3.8% |
| Ohio | 650 | 3.6% |
| North Carolina | 631 | 3.5% |
| Georgia | 609 | 3.4% |
| Michigan | 591 | 3.3% |
| Other states and territories | 7994 | 44.6% |
Location highlight
Complaint activity in District of Columbia was almost entirely concentrated in Washington.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the month were spread across 8 complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 11153 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 11153 | 62.3% |
| Internet | 4978 | 27.8% |
| TV | 1272 | 7.1% |
| Radio | 314 | 1.8% |
| Accessibility | 99 | 0.6% |
| Emergency | 52 | 0.3% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 34 | 0.2% |
| Broadband Story | 4 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
11153 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 62.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 5883 | 52.7% |
| Billing | 1730 | 15.5% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 1275 | 11.4% |
| Equipment | 893 | 8.0% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 574 | 5.1% |
| Privacy | 236 | 2.1% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 190 | 1.7% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 187 | 1.7% |
| Junk Faxes | 119 | 1.1% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 57 | 0.5% |
| Rural Call Completion | 5 | 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. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
Internet complaints
4978 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 27.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 1925 | 38.7% |
| Billing | 1694 | 34.0% |
| Speed | 509 | 10.2% |
| Interference | 346 | 7.0% |
| Equipment | 257 | 5.2% |
| Privacy | 247 | 5.0% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
1272 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 7.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 461 | 36.2% |
| Availability | 364 | 28.6% |
| Loud Commercials | 194 | 15.3% |
| Indecency | 139 | 10.9% |
| Equipment | 59 | 4.6% |
| Interference | 36 | 2.8% |
| Privacy | 13 | 1.0% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Radio complaints
314 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 98 | 31.2% |
| Pirate Radio | 64 | 20.4% |
| Availability | 63 | 20.1% |
| Indecency | 53 | 16.9% |
| Equipment | 12 | 3.8% |
| Billing | 11 | 3.5% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 10 | 3.2% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Interference, Pirate Radio and Availability.
Accessibility complaints
99 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 31 | 31.3% |
| Closed Captioning on TV | 22 | 22.2% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 16 | 16.2% |
| Video Description | 5 | 5.1% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 2 | 2.0% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 1 | 1.0% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 1 | 1.0% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS), Closed Captioning on TV and Closed Captioning over the Internet.
Emergency complaints
52 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 22 | 42.3% |
| Phone | 16 | 30.8% |
| Tower | 8 | 15.4% |
| Other | 6 | 11.5% |
Interference and Phone accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
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 5883 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 32.9% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (855) 563-5635 | 13 | 0.2% |
| (585) 510-1260 | 9 | 0.2% |
| (585) 510-1208 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (217) 275-6132 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (585) 510-1311 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (240) 209-9245 | 4 | 0.1% |
| (805) 203-1460 | 4 | 0.1% |
| (502) 453-0904 | 3 | 0.1% |
| (678) 940-5384 | 3 | 0.1% |
| (802) 466-5217 | 3 | 0.1% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (555) 555-5555 | 12 | 0.2% |
| (949) 237-7359 | 9 | 0.2% |
| (866) 201-3695 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (209) 298-1598 | 4 | 0.1% |
| (240) 209-9245 | 4 | 0.1% |
| (513) 302-5565 | 4 | 0.1% |
| (833) 213-1002 | 4 | 0.1% |
| (833) 213-4724 | 4 | 0.1% |
| (888) 721-4199 | 4 | 0.1% |
| (949) 200-3125 | 4 | 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.
- (855) 563-5635 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.