FCC Consumer Complaints – 17 March 2023
Introduction
On 17 March 2023, 812 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, complaint volume fell from 902 complaints the day before. Complaints were reported across 50 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 340 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 812
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (340)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (111)
Where the complaints came from
The 812 complaints recorded on 17 March 2023 originated from 600 cities across 50 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 | 111 | 13.7% |
| Texas | 72 | 8.9% |
| Florida | 59 | 7.3% |
| New York | 43 | 5.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 31 | 3.8% |
| Michigan | 28 | 3.4% |
| New Jersey | 27 | 3.3% |
| Illinois | 25 | 3.1% |
| Ohio | 24 | 3.0% |
| Virginia | 24 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 368 | 45.3% |
What the complaints were about
A total of 6 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. Phone was the most reported category, with 550 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 550 | 67.7% |
| Internet | 162 | 20.0% |
| TV | 78 | 9.6% |
| Radio | 16 | 2.0% |
| Accessibility | 4 | 0.5% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
550 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 67.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 340 | 61.8% |
| Billing | 69 | 12.5% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 46 | 8.4% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 29 | 5.3% |
| Equipment | 25 | 4.5% |
| Privacy | 14 | 2.5% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 11 | 2.0% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 7 | 1.3% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 5 | 0.9% |
| Junk Faxes | 4 | 0.7% |
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 Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers).
Internet complaints
162 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 20.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 61 | 37.7% |
| Billing | 57 | 35.2% |
| Interference | 14 | 8.6% |
| Speed | 13 | 8.0% |
| Privacy | 11 | 6.8% |
| Equipment | 6 | 3.7% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
78 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 44 | 56.4% |
| Availability | 13 | 16.7% |
| Indecency | 7 | 9.0% |
| Equipment | 5 | 6.4% |
| Interference | 3 | 3.8% |
| Loud Commercials | 3 | 3.8% |
| Privacy | 3 | 3.8% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
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.