FCC Consumer Complaints – 2023
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 257096 consumer complaints in 2023 relating to telecommunications services. The complaints came from 56 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Unwanted Calls recorded a slightly higher number of complaints than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 257096
- Months with complaint data
- 12
- Months with complaints
- 12
- Days with complaint data
- 365
- Days with complaints
- 365
- States & territories reporting
- 56
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (96463)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (31250)
Monthly complaint activity
Across the year, the FCC recorded an average of 21424.7 complaints per month. The highest monthly total was 24433 complaints in March 2023, while 7 months recorded more complaints than the yearly monthly average.
Each bar represents one month of the year. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
Across 16614 cities in 56 states and territories, a total of 257096 complaints were recorded in 2023. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 961 of the 1062 complaints recorded in the state.
The table below summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory during the year, ordered by total reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 31250 | 12.2% |
| Texas | 20321 | 7.9% |
| Florida | 18080 | 7.0% |
| New York | 15713 | 6.1% |
| Illinois | 11868 | 4.6% |
| Pennsylvania | 9737 | 3.8% |
| Ohio | 8517 | 3.3% |
| Georgia | 8514 | 3.3% |
| North Carolina | 7787 | 3.0% |
| Virginia | 7361 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 117766 | 45.8% |
Location highlight
Washington accounted for nearly all complaints recorded in District of Columbia.
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded during the year related to 8 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 169161 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 169161 | 65.8% |
| Internet | 59950 | 23.3% |
| TV | 20181 | 7.8% |
| Radio | 4427 | 1.7% |
| Accessibility | 1870 | 0.7% |
| Emergency | 1068 | 0.4% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 407 | 0.2% |
| Broadband Story | 32 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
169161 complaints were recorded in this category during the year, representing 65.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 96463 | 57.0% |
| Billing | 23165 | 13.7% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 16671 | 9.9% |
| Equipment | 12204 | 7.2% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 7039 | 4.2% |
| Privacy | 3760 | 2.2% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 3365 | 2.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 2776 | 1.6% |
| Junk Faxes | 2601 | 1.5% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 631 | 0.4% |
| Rural Call Completion | 121 | 0.1% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
Internet complaints
59950 complaints were recorded in this category during the year, representing 23.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 21831 | 36.4% |
| Availability | 21399 | 35.7% |
| Interference | 4570 | 7.6% |
| Speed | 4508 | 7.5% |
| Equipment | 3958 | 6.6% |
| Privacy | 3682 | 6.1% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
20181 complaints were recorded in this category during the year, representing 7.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 7502 | 37.2% |
| Billing | 6342 | 31.4% |
| Indecency | 2508 | 12.4% |
| Loud Commercials | 1877 | 9.3% |
| Equipment | 984 | 4.9% |
| Interference | 618 | 3.1% |
| Privacy | 224 | 1.1% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Radio complaints
4427 complaints were recorded in this category during the year, representing 1.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 1583 | 35.8% |
| Availability | 857 | 19.4% |
| Pirate Radio | 770 | 17.4% |
| Indecency | 655 | 14.8% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 217 | 4.9% |
| Billing | 163 | 3.7% |
| Equipment | 144 | 3.3% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Interference, Availability and Pirate Radio.
Accessibility complaints
1870 complaints were recorded in this category during the year, representing 0.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 705 | 37.7% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 358 | 19.1% |
| Closed Captioning on TV | 310 | 16.6% |
| Video Description | 83 | 4.4% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 40 | 2.1% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 30 | 1.6% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 16 | 0.9% |
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
1068 complaints were recorded in this category during the year, representing 0.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 476 | 44.6% |
| Phone | 364 | 34.1% |
| Other | 134 | 12.5% |
| Tower | 94 | 8.8% |
Interference and Phone were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Request for Dispute Assistance complaints
407 complaints were recorded in this category during the year, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|
Broadband Story complaints
32 complaints were recorded in this category during the year, representing 0.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|
Unwanted calls
A total of 96463 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 37.5% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact numbers are shown below where sufficient data is available.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (540) 315-8592 | 42 | 0.0% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 37 | 0.0% |
| (855) 563-5635 | 34 | 0.0% |
| (571) 272-1000 | 31 | 0.0% |
| (800) 432-1000 | 28 | 0.0% |
| (404) 806-4812 | 27 | 0.0% |
| (202) 677-7667 | 18 | 0.0% |
| (855) 762-2200 | 16 | 0.0% |
| (860) 590-4840 | 16 | 0.0% |
| (901) 676-7051 | 15 | 0.0% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (555) 555-5555 | 236 | 0.2% |
| (833) 435-4428 | 77 | 0.1% |
| (833) 652-7555 | 65 | 0.1% |
| (888) 721-6387 | 52 | 0.1% |
| (540) 315-8592 | 47 | 0.0% |
| (714) 694-7603 | 43 | 0.0% |
| (833) 431-2961 | 42 | 0.0% |
| (866) 202-3044 | 39 | 0.0% |
| (888) 220-2311 | 35 | 0.0% |
| (844) 463-6837 | 33 | 0.0% |
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 stood out as the most frequently reported business contact number.
- (540) 315-8592 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.