FCC Consumer Complaints – 3 March 2023
Introduction
On 3 March 2023, 831 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was lower than the 963 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 49 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 371 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 831
- States & territories reporting
- 49
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (371)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (116)
Where the complaints came from
The 831 complaints recorded on 3 March 2023 originated from 581 cities across 49 states and territories. Activity was spread across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a substantial share of complaints. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 116 | 14.0% |
| Florida | 59 | 7.1% |
| Texas | 55 | 6.6% |
| New York | 46 | 5.5% |
| Illinois | 43 | 5.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 38 | 4.6% |
| Ohio | 32 | 3.9% |
| Georgia | 31 | 3.7% |
| Michigan | 28 | 3.4% |
| North Carolina | 27 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 356 | 42.8% |
What the complaints were about
A total of 6 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 593 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 593 | 71.4% |
| Internet | 173 | 20.8% |
| TV | 56 | 6.7% |
| Radio | 6 | 0.7% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 2 | 0.2% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
593 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 71.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 371 | 62.6% |
| Billing | 70 | 11.8% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 57 | 9.6% |
| Equipment | 34 | 5.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 23 | 3.9% |
| Junk Faxes | 12 | 2.0% |
| Privacy | 11 | 1.9% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 6 | 1.0% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 5 | 0.8% |
| Rural Call Completion | 3 | 0.5% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.2% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
Internet complaints
173 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 20.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 71 | 41.0% |
| Billing | 62 | 35.8% |
| Speed | 13 | 7.5% |
| Privacy | 10 | 5.8% |
| Interference | 9 | 5.2% |
| Equipment | 8 | 4.6% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
56 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 20 | 35.7% |
| Availability | 17 | 30.4% |
| Indecency | 10 | 17.9% |
| Loud Commercials | 4 | 7.1% |
| Equipment | 2 | 3.6% |
| Interference | 1 | 1.8% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.8% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
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.