FCC Consumer Complaints – 22 February 2023
Introduction
A total of 954 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday, 22 February 2023, this was lower than the 1001 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 51 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
- 954
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (314)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (98)
Where the complaints came from
The 954 complaints recorded on 22 February 2023 originated from 675 cities across 51 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. At the city level, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share of the total.
The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this date, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 98 | 10.3% |
| Texas | 80 | 8.4% |
| Florida | 64 | 6.7% |
| New York | 59 | 6.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 51 | 5.3% |
| Ohio | 41 | 4.3% |
| Michigan | 34 | 3.6% |
| North Carolina | 34 | 3.6% |
| Georgia | 32 | 3.4% |
| Washington | 29 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 432 | 45.3% |
What the complaints were about
A total of 7 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 550 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 550 | 57.7% |
| Internet | 200 | 21.0% |
| Accessibility | 144 | 15.1% |
| TV | 49 | 5.1% |
| Radio | 8 | 0.8% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
550 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 57.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 314 | 57.1% |
| Billing | 67 | 12.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 56 | 10.2% |
| Equipment | 51 | 9.3% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 18 | 3.3% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 13 | 2.4% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 10 | 1.8% |
| Privacy | 9 | 1.6% |
| Junk Faxes | 8 | 1.5% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 3 | 0.5% |
| Rural Call Completion | 1 | 0.2% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail 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
200 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 21.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 82 | 41.0% |
| Availability | 64 | 32.0% |
| Speed | 23 | 11.5% |
| Equipment | 11 | 5.5% |
| Interference | 11 | 5.5% |
| Privacy | 9 | 4.5% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Accessibility complaints
144 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 120 | 83.3% |
| Closed Captioning on TV | 18 | 12.5% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 1 | 0.7% |
Closed Captioning over the Internet and Closed Captioning on TV accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
49 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 5.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 18 | 36.7% |
| Availability | 9 | 18.4% |
| Loud Commercials | 8 | 16.3% |
| Indecency | 6 | 12.2% |
| Interference | 4 | 8.2% |
| Equipment | 3 | 6.1% |
| Privacy | 1 | 2.0% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Loud Commercials.
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.