FCC Consumer Complaints – 16 March 2023
Introduction
On Thursday, 16 March 2023, 902 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was lower than the 925 complaints recorded the previous day. The complaints came from 50 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Complaints relating to Unwanted Calls were marginally higher than for other issue types.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 902
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (335)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (99)
Where the complaints came from
On 16 March 2023, the 902 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 627 cities across 50 states and territories. 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 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 | 99 | 11.0% |
| New York | 78 | 8.6% |
| Texas | 76 | 8.4% |
| Florida | 63 | 7.0% |
| Pennsylvania | 50 | 5.5% |
| Illinois | 34 | 3.8% |
| North Carolina | 33 | 3.7% |
| Georgia | 29 | 3.2% |
| Michigan | 26 | 2.9% |
| Washington | 26 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 388 | 43.0% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 7 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 593 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 593 | 65.7% |
| Internet | 175 | 19.4% |
| TV | 108 | 12.0% |
| Radio | 15 | 1.7% |
| Emergency | 5 | 0.6% |
| Accessibility | 3 | 0.3% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 3 | 0.3% |
Phone complaints
593 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 65.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 335 | 56.5% |
| Billing | 78 | 13.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 48 | 8.1% |
| Equipment | 48 | 8.1% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 41 | 6.9% |
| Junk Faxes | 10 | 1.7% |
| Privacy | 10 | 1.7% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 9 | 1.5% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 8 | 1.3% |
| Rural Call Completion | 3 | 0.5% |
| 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
175 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 19.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 64 | 36.6% |
| Availability | 63 | 36.0% |
| Equipment | 17 | 9.7% |
| Interference | 11 | 6.3% |
| Privacy | 10 | 5.7% |
| Speed | 10 | 5.7% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
108 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 48 | 44.4% |
| Availability | 31 | 28.7% |
| Indecency | 16 | 14.8% |
| Equipment | 5 | 4.6% |
| Interference | 4 | 3.7% |
| Loud Commercials | 3 | 2.8% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
There were 335 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 37.1% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (855) 563-5635 | 6 | 1.8% |
| (585) 510-1311 | 3 | 0.9% |
| (703) 717-7750 | 2 | 0.6% |
| (202) 670-7729 | 1 | 0.3% |
| (206) 791-2765 | 1 | 0.3% |
| (214) 227-7391 | 1 | 0.3% |
| (214) 494-2934 | 1 | 0.3% |
| (223) 227-2472 | 1 | 0.3% |
| (224) 285-0002 | 1 | 0.3% |
| (225) 285-6608 | 1 | 0.3% |
Key patterns
- None accounted for the largest share of unwanted call complaints by service type.
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- Reports were spread across many different business contact numbers, with no single number dominating.
- (855) 563-5635 stood out as the most frequently reported caller ID number.
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.