FCC Consumer Complaints – January 2023
Introduction
In January 2023, 21714 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was higher than the 17906 complaints recorded the month before. Reports were received from 55 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls was reported slightly more frequently than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 21714
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 55
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (7487)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (2499)
Daily complaint activity
Across the month, the FCC recorded an average of 700.5 complaints per day. The highest daily total was 984 complaints on 26 January 2023, while 19 days recorded more complaints than the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 1 January 2023, with 249 complaints, noticeably below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
The 21714 complaints recorded in January 2023 were submitted from 5629 cities across 55 states and territories. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 77 of the 84 complaints recorded in the state.
The monthly distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 2499 | 11.5% |
| Texas | 1646 | 7.6% |
| Florida | 1562 | 7.2% |
| New York | 1453 | 6.7% |
| Illinois | 901 | 4.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 867 | 4.0% |
| Ohio | 753 | 3.5% |
| Georgia | 706 | 3.3% |
| North Carolina | 684 | 3.2% |
| Virginia | 668 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 9927 | 45.7% |
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. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 13866 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 13866 | 63.9% |
| Internet | 5640 | 26.0% |
| TV | 1563 | 7.2% |
| Radio | 400 | 1.8% |
| Accessibility | 113 | 0.5% |
| Emergency | 73 | 0.3% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 50 | 0.2% |
| Broadband Story | 9 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
13866 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 63.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 7487 | 54.0% |
| Billing | 1968 | 14.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 1602 | 11.6% |
| Equipment | 1108 | 8.0% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 659 | 4.8% |
| Privacy | 295 | 2.1% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 224 | 1.6% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 220 | 1.6% |
| Junk Faxes | 204 | 1.5% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 60 | 0.4% |
| Rural Call Completion | 20 | 0.1% |
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
5640 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 26.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 2114 | 37.5% |
| Billing | 1953 | 34.6% |
| Speed | 530 | 9.4% |
| Interference | 399 | 7.1% |
| Equipment | 352 | 6.2% |
| Privacy | 292 | 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
1563 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 7.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 483 | 30.9% |
| Availability | 422 | 27.0% |
| Indecency | 291 | 18.6% |
| Loud Commercials | 198 | 12.7% |
| Equipment | 93 | 6.0% |
| Interference | 57 | 3.6% |
| Privacy | 14 | 0.9% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Indecency.
Radio complaints
400 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 136 | 34.0% |
| Pirate Radio | 84 | 21.0% |
| Availability | 73 | 18.3% |
| Indecency | 65 | 16.3% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 17 | 4.3% |
| Billing | 15 | 3.8% |
| Equipment | 8 | 2.0% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Interference, Pirate Radio and Availability.
Accessibility complaints
113 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 39 | 34.5% |
| Closed Captioning on TV | 22 | 19.5% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 11 | 9.7% |
| Video Description | 10 | 8.8% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 4 | 3.5% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 2 | 1.8% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 1 | 0.9% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS), Closed Captioning on TV and Closed Captioning over the Internet.
Emergency complaints
73 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 39 | 53.4% |
| Interference | 25 | 34.2% |
| Tower | 7 | 9.6% |
| Other | 2 | 2.7% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Phone and Interference, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Request for Dispute Assistance complaints
50 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|
Unwanted calls
A total of 7487 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 34.5% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (888) 742-5725 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (313) 455-5145 | 4 | 0.1% |
| (480) 480-2928 | 4 | 0.1% |
| (719) 204-9831 | 4 | 0.1% |
| (757) 910-0433 | 4 | 0.1% |
| (805) 203-1460 | 4 | 0.1% |
| (223) 203-6076 | 3 | 0.0% |
| (312) 548-1133 | 3 | 0.0% |
| (706) 538-4905 | 3 | 0.0% |
| (757) 910-0450 | 3 | 0.0% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (555) 555-5555 | 17 | 0.2% |
| (833) 212-9897 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (769) 208-2035 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (866) 756-5434 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (833) 213-0993 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (706) 538-4905 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (805) 203-1460 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (949) 603-3504 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (313) 455-5145 | 4 | 0.1% |
| (480) 480-2928 | 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.
- (888) 742-5725 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.