FCC Consumer Complaints – 21 March 2023
Introduction
On 21 March 2023, 920 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, complaint volume increased from 880 complaints the previous day. The complaints came from 51 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
- 920
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (397)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (128)
Where the complaints came from
The 920 complaints recorded on 21 March 2023 originated from 623 cities across 51 states and territories. Activity was spread across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a substantial share of complaints. At the city level, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share of the total.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 128 | 13.9% |
| Texas | 77 | 8.4% |
| Illinois | 66 | 7.2% |
| Florida | 64 | 7.0% |
| Washington | 48 | 5.2% |
| New York | 47 | 5.1% |
| Ohio | 35 | 3.8% |
| North Carolina | 31 | 3.4% |
| Georgia | 27 | 2.9% |
| New Jersey | 23 | 2.5% |
| Other states and territories | 374 | 40.7% |
What the complaints were about
A total of 7 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. Phone was the most reported category, with 615 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 615 | 66.8% |
| Internet | 166 | 18.0% |
| TV | 112 | 12.2% |
| Radio | 16 | 1.7% |
| Accessibility | 7 | 0.8% |
| Emergency | 3 | 0.3% |
| Broadband Story | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
615 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 66.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 397 | 64.6% |
| Billing | 90 | 14.6% |
| Equipment | 36 | 5.9% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 34 | 5.5% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 24 | 3.9% |
| Privacy | 13 | 2.1% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 8 | 1.3% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 6 | 1.0% |
| Junk Faxes | 5 | 0.8% |
| Rural Call Completion | 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. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).
Internet complaints
166 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 18.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 61 | 36.7% |
| Availability | 57 | 34.3% |
| Privacy | 16 | 9.6% |
| Equipment | 12 | 7.2% |
| Interference | 12 | 7.2% |
| Speed | 8 | 4.8% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
112 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 59 | 52.7% |
| Availability | 28 | 25.0% |
| Loud Commercials | 9 | 8.0% |
| Equipment | 7 | 6.3% |
| Indecency | 5 | 4.5% |
| Interference | 3 | 2.7% |
| Privacy | 1 | 0.9% |
Billing and Availability 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.