FCC Consumer Complaints – 17 January 2023
Introduction
On Tuesday, 17 January 2023, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 861 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume increased from 592 complaints the previous day. Reports were received from 52 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 343 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 861
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (343)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (99)
Where the complaints came from
Across 626 cities in 52 states and territories, a total of 861 complaints were recorded on 17 January 2023. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant 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 summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory on this date, ordered by total reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 99 | 11.5% |
| Texas | 69 | 8.0% |
| New York | 54 | 6.3% |
| Illinois | 46 | 5.3% |
| Florida | 44 | 5.1% |
| Virginia | 37 | 4.3% |
| Georgia | 32 | 3.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 32 | 3.7% |
| Ohio | 31 | 3.6% |
| Michigan | 29 | 3.4% |
| Other states and territories | 387 | 44.9% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 7 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 577 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 577 | 67.0% |
| Internet | 197 | 22.9% |
| TV | 45 | 5.2% |
| Radio | 33 | 3.8% |
| Accessibility | 7 | 0.8% |
| Broadband Story | 1 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
577 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 67.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 343 | 59.4% |
| Billing | 83 | 14.4% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 62 | 10.7% |
| Equipment | 38 | 6.6% |
| Junk Faxes | 15 | 2.6% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 12 | 2.1% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 10 | 1.7% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 5 | 0.9% |
| Privacy | 5 | 0.9% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 2 | 0.3% |
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
197 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 22.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 73 | 37.1% |
| Availability | 62 | 31.5% |
| Equipment | 18 | 9.1% |
| Speed | 17 | 8.6% |
| Privacy | 14 | 7.1% |
| Interference | 13 | 6.6% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
45 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 5.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 15 | 33.3% |
| Billing | 14 | 31.1% |
| Loud Commercials | 8 | 17.8% |
| Indecency | 4 | 8.9% |
| Interference | 3 | 6.7% |
| Equipment | 1 | 2.2% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Radio complaints
33 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 3.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 15 | 45.5% |
| Pirate Radio | 8 | 24.2% |
| Availability | 5 | 15.2% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 2 | 6.1% |
| Indecency | 2 | 6.1% |
| Billing | 1 | 3.0% |
Interference and Pirate Radio accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
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.