FCC Consumer Complaints – 23 February 2023
Introduction
On Thursday, 23 February 2023, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 913 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume fell from 954 complaints the day before. The complaints came from 51 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 377 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 913
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (377)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (119)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 913 complaints were recorded on 23 February 2023, with reports originating from 652 cities in 51 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.
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 | 119 | 13.0% |
| Florida | 75 | 8.2% |
| Texas | 55 | 6.0% |
| New York | 50 | 5.5% |
| Illinois | 38 | 4.2% |
| Georgia | 31 | 3.4% |
| Michigan | 31 | 3.4% |
| Ohio | 31 | 3.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 31 | 3.4% |
| Arizona | 29 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 421 | 46.1% |
Location highlight
California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 74 different cities.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 7 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 618 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 618 | 67.7% |
| Internet | 175 | 19.2% |
| TV | 53 | 5.8% |
| Accessibility | 50 | 5.5% |
| Radio | 11 | 1.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 5 | 0.5% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
618 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 67.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 377 | 61.0% |
| Billing | 89 | 14.4% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 56 | 9.1% |
| Equipment | 34 | 5.5% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 18 | 2.9% |
| Privacy | 14 | 2.3% |
| Junk Faxes | 11 | 1.8% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 7 | 1.1% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 7 | 1.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 2 | 0.3% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 2 | 0.3% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail 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
175 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 19.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 72 | 41.1% |
| Availability | 68 | 38.9% |
| Speed | 14 | 8.0% |
| Privacy | 10 | 5.7% |
| Interference | 8 | 4.6% |
| Equipment | 3 | 1.7% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
53 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 5.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 20 | 37.7% |
| Availability | 13 | 24.5% |
| Indecency | 10 | 18.9% |
| Loud Commercials | 4 | 7.5% |
| Equipment | 3 | 5.7% |
| Privacy | 3 | 5.7% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Accessibility complaints
50 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 5.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 37 | 74.0% |
| Closed Captioning on TV | 9 | 18.0% |
| Video Description | 2 | 4.0% |
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.
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.