FCC Consumer Complaints – February 2023
Introduction
In February 2023, 20691 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, complaint volume fell from 21714 complaints 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
- 20691
- Days with complaint data
- 28
- Days with complaints
- 28
- States & territories reporting
- 55
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (7665)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (2474)
Daily complaint activity
Across the month, the FCC recorded an average of 739 complaints per day. The highest daily total was 1001 complaints on 21 February 2023, while 19 days recorded more complaints than the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 19 February 2023, with 278 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 5350 cities in 55 states and territories, a total of 20691 complaints were recorded in February 2023. Activity was spread across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a substantial share of complaints. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 65 of the 74 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 | 2474 | 12.0% |
| Texas | 1601 | 7.7% |
| Florida | 1522 | 7.4% |
| New York | 1317 | 6.4% |
| Illinois | 1029 | 5.0% |
| Pennsylvania | 823 | 4.0% |
| Georgia | 719 | 3.5% |
| Ohio | 718 | 3.5% |
| Virginia | 665 | 3.2% |
| North Carolina | 639 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 9151 | 44.2% |
Location highlights
- Complaints in District of Columbia were heavily concentrated in Washington, which accounted for the majority of reports within the state.
- California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 530 different cities.
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 13207 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 13207 | 63.8% |
| Internet | 4721 | 22.8% |
| TV | 1791 | 8.7% |
| Accessibility | 551 | 2.7% |
| Radio | 309 | 1.5% |
| Emergency | 70 | 0.3% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 39 | 0.2% |
| Broadband Story | 3 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
13207 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 63.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 7665 | 58.0% |
| Billing | 1787 | 13.5% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 1244 | 9.4% |
| Equipment | 955 | 7.2% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 580 | 4.4% |
| Privacy | 257 | 1.9% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 247 | 1.9% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 212 | 1.6% |
| Junk Faxes | 188 | 1.4% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 39 | 0.3% |
| Rural Call Completion | 26 | 0.2% |
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. 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
4721 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 22.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 1731 | 36.7% |
| Billing | 1704 | 36.1% |
| Speed | 422 | 8.9% |
| Interference | 312 | 6.6% |
| Equipment | 283 | 6.0% |
| Privacy | 269 | 5.7% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
1791 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 8.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Indecency | 593 | 33.1% |
| Billing | 554 | 30.9% |
| Availability | 336 | 18.8% |
| Loud Commercials | 162 | 9.0% |
| Equipment | 80 | 4.5% |
| Interference | 51 | 2.8% |
| Privacy | 10 | 0.6% |
Indecency and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Accessibility complaints
551 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 2.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 378 | 68.6% |
| Closed Captioning on TV | 87 | 15.8% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 31 | 5.6% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 5 | 0.9% |
| Video Description | 5 | 0.9% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 1 | 0.2% |
Closed Captioning over the Internet and Closed Captioning on TV were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Radio complaints
309 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 102 | 33.0% |
| Availability | 68 | 22.0% |
| Pirate Radio | 63 | 20.4% |
| Indecency | 45 | 14.6% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 15 | 4.9% |
| Equipment | 8 | 2.6% |
| Billing | 5 | 1.6% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Interference, Availability and Pirate Radio among the most common.
Emergency complaints
70 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 30 | 42.9% |
| Interference | 25 | 35.7% |
| Other | 9 | 12.9% |
| Tower | 6 | 8.6% |
Phone and Interference were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Request for Dispute Assistance complaints
39 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|
Unwanted calls
There were 7665 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 37% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (571) 272-1000 | 10 | 0.1% |
| (206) 408-6734 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (404) 806-4812 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (715) 452-1113 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (732) 631-3697 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (855) 563-5635 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (978) 783-0250 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (800) 432-1000 | 4 | 0.1% |
| (844) 313-3675 | 4 | 0.1% |
| (203) 831-6318 | 3 | 0.0% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (555) 555-5555 | 19 | 0.2% |
| (949) 603-3504 | 11 | 0.1% |
| (833) 965-3008 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (833) 212-9897 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (877) 922-8831 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (949) 200-3125 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (571) 272-1000 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (714) 694-7603 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (833) 213-4724 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (213) 418-9338 | 5 | 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.
- (571) 272-1000 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.