FCC Consumer Complaints – April 2023
Introduction
In April 2023, 19932 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented a decline from the 24433 complaints recorded the month before. The complaints came from 53 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Unwanted Calls was reported slightly more frequently than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 19932
- Days with complaint data
- 30
- Days with complaints
- 30
- States & territories reporting
- 53
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (7663)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (2710)
Daily complaint activity
Across the month, the FCC recorded an average of 664.4 complaints per day. The highest daily total was 938 complaints on 5 April 2023, while 20 days recorded more complaints than the monthly daily average. The lowest daily total was 247 complaints on 9 April 2023, well below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
The 19932 complaints recorded in April 2023 were submitted from 5100 cities across 53 states and territories. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. At the city level, a significant concentration was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 69 of the 79 complaints recorded.
The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this month, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 2710 | 13.6% |
| Florida | 1532 | 7.7% |
| Texas | 1459 | 7.3% |
| New York | 1172 | 5.9% |
| Illinois | 947 | 4.8% |
| Colorado | 782 | 3.9% |
| Pennsylvania | 691 | 3.5% |
| Georgia | 640 | 3.2% |
| Ohio | 630 | 3.2% |
| North Carolina | 625 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 8738 | 43.8% |
Location highlight
A large share of complaints in District of Columbia originated from Washington, which accounted for most reports within the state.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the month were spread across 8 complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 12988 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 12988 | 65.2% |
| Internet | 4749 | 23.8% |
| TV | 1465 | 7.3% |
| Radio | 363 | 1.8% |
| Accessibility | 206 | 1.0% |
| Emergency | 132 | 0.7% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 28 | 0.1% |
| Broadband Story | 1 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
12988 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 65.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 7663 | 59.0% |
| Billing | 1764 | 13.6% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 1091 | 8.4% |
| Equipment | 930 | 7.2% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 505 | 3.9% |
| Privacy | 308 | 2.4% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 266 | 2.0% |
| Junk Faxes | 199 | 1.5% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 189 | 1.5% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 44 | 0.3% |
| Rural Call Completion | 2 | 0.0% |
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
4749 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 23.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 1728 | 36.4% |
| Billing | 1678 | 35.3% |
| Interference | 388 | 8.2% |
| Speed | 329 | 6.9% |
| Privacy | 317 | 6.7% |
| Equipment | 308 | 6.5% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
1465 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 7.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 559 | 38.2% |
| Availability | 387 | 26.4% |
| Indecency | 197 | 13.4% |
| Loud Commercials | 145 | 9.9% |
| Equipment | 81 | 5.5% |
| Interference | 59 | 4.0% |
| Privacy | 18 | 1.2% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Radio complaints
363 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 136 | 37.5% |
| Availability | 73 | 20.1% |
| Pirate Radio | 62 | 17.1% |
| Indecency | 50 | 13.8% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 23 | 6.3% |
| Equipment | 12 | 3.3% |
| Billing | 6 | 1.7% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Interference, Availability and Pirate Radio.
Accessibility complaints
206 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 95 | 46.1% |
| Closed Captioning on TV | 32 | 15.5% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 28 | 13.6% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 5 | 2.4% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 5 | 2.4% |
| Video Description | 5 | 2.4% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 1 | 0.5% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Closed Captioning over the Internet and Closed Captioning on TV, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Emergency complaints
132 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 53 | 40.2% |
| Phone | 48 | 36.4% |
| Other | 25 | 18.9% |
| Tower | 6 | 4.5% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Interference and Phone, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Unwanted calls
A total of 7663 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 38.4% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact numbers are shown below where sufficient data is available.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (435) 280-4011 | 12 | 0.2% |
| (434) 217-4877 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (571) 272-1000 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (269) 210-8513 | 4 | 0.1% |
| (201) 839-2927 | 3 | 0.0% |
| (202) 677-7667 | 3 | 0.0% |
| (302) 212-4058 | 3 | 0.0% |
| (315) 305-5162 | 3 | 0.0% |
| (346) 537-2922 | 3 | 0.0% |
| (412) 332-2219 | 3 | 0.0% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (855) 511-0282 | 22 | 0.3% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 21 | 0.3% |
| (435) 280-4011 | 12 | 0.2% |
| (213) 468-6080 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (833) 226-2999 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (786) 936-1984 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (800) 436-1909 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (800) 431-1235 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (800) 473-1065 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (833) 213-3710 | 6 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- None accounted for the largest share of unwanted call complaints by service type.
- Live Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (855) 511-0282 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- (435) 280-4011 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.