FCC Consumer Complaints – May 2023
Introduction
In May 2023, 20805 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was higher than the 19932 complaints recorded the month before. The complaints came from 54 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 8255 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 20805
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 54
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (8255)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (2750)
Daily complaint activity
The month averaged 671.1 complaints per day. The highest daily count was 964 complaints on 23 May 2023, with 22 days recording more complaints than the monthly daily average. The lowest daily total was 219 complaints on 28 May 2023, well below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
Across 5083 cities in 54 states and territories, a total of 20805 complaints were recorded in May 2023. 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 74 of the 81 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 | 2750 | 13.2% |
| Texas | 1668 | 8.0% |
| Florida | 1573 | 7.6% |
| New York | 1284 | 6.2% |
| Illinois | 845 | 4.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 833 | 4.0% |
| Colorado | 733 | 3.5% |
| Georgia | 655 | 3.1% |
| North Carolina | 622 | 3.0% |
| Ohio | 584 | 2.8% |
| Other states and territories | 9249 | 44.5% |
Location highlight
Complaint activity in District of Columbia was almost entirely concentrated in Washington.
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded during the month related to 8 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 14020 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 14020 | 67.4% |
| Internet | 4900 | 23.6% |
| TV | 1295 | 6.2% |
| Radio | 353 | 1.7% |
| Accessibility | 134 | 0.6% |
| Emergency | 67 | 0.3% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 35 | 0.2% |
| Broadband Story | 1 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
14020 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 67.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 8255 | 58.9% |
| Billing | 1877 | 13.4% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 1185 | 8.5% |
| Equipment | 923 | 6.6% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 519 | 3.7% |
| Privacy | 396 | 2.8% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 339 | 2.4% |
| Junk Faxes | 236 | 1.7% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 216 | 1.5% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 65 | 0.5% |
| Rural Call Completion | 4 | 0.0% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment among the most common.
Internet complaints
4900 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 23.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 1754 | 35.8% |
| Billing | 1754 | 35.8% |
| Interference | 390 | 8.0% |
| Privacy | 353 | 7.2% |
| Equipment | 331 | 6.8% |
| Speed | 318 | 6.5% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
1295 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 6.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 465 | 35.9% |
| Billing | 433 | 33.4% |
| Loud Commercials | 140 | 10.8% |
| Indecency | 89 | 6.9% |
| Equipment | 88 | 6.8% |
| Interference | 44 | 3.4% |
| Privacy | 24 | 1.9% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Radio complaints
353 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 150 | 42.5% |
| Availability | 63 | 17.8% |
| Indecency | 50 | 14.2% |
| Pirate Radio | 48 | 13.6% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 18 | 5.1% |
| Equipment | 11 | 3.1% |
| Billing | 9 | 2.5% |
Interference and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Accessibility complaints
134 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 35 | 26.1% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 29 | 21.6% |
| Closed Captioning on TV | 21 | 15.7% |
| Video Description | 14 | 10.4% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 2 | 1.5% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 1 | 0.7% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 1 | 0.7% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Closed Captioning over the Internet, Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) and Closed Captioning on TV among the most common.
Emergency complaints
67 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 30 | 44.8% |
| Phone | 28 | 41.8% |
| Tower | 6 | 9.0% |
| Other | 3 | 4.5% |
Interference and Phone were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Request for Dispute Assistance complaints
35 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|
Unwanted calls
There were 8255 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 39.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (571) 272-1000 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (202) 677-7667 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (937) 518-7003 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (866) 535-9492 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (937) 518-7033 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (937) 518-7063 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (217) 288-3813 | 4 | 0.0% |
| (412) 332-2219 | 4 | 0.0% |
| (513) 696-1920 | 4 | 0.0% |
| (551) 267-8906 | 4 | 0.0% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (555) 555-5555 | 25 | 0.3% |
| (833) 213-3710 | 13 | 0.2% |
| (239) 399-7626 | 11 | 0.1% |
| (855) 649-2429 | 11 | 0.1% |
| (866) 202-3044 | 10 | 0.1% |
| (213) 468-6080 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (866) 625-0021 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (213) 460-4696 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (380) 209-4357 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (833) 235-1265 | 7 | 0.1% |
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.
- (555) 555-5555 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- (571) 272-1000 was reported slightly more often than other caller ID numbers.
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.