FCC Consumer Complaints – July 2023
Introduction
In July 2023, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 21652 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this was higher than the 21569 complaints recorded the month before. Reports were received from 55 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls was reported slightly more frequently than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 21652
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 55
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (7916)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (2549)
Daily complaint activity
Across the month, the FCC recorded an average of 698.5 complaints per day. The highest daily total was 985 complaints on 18 July 2023, while 20 days recorded more complaints than the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 23 July 2023, with 285 complaints, noticeably below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
In July 2023, the 21652 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 5334 cities across 55 states and territories. Activity was spread across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a substantial share of complaints. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 82 of the 90 complaints recorded in the state.
The monthly distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 2549 | 11.8% |
| Texas | 1748 | 8.1% |
| Florida | 1457 | 6.7% |
| New York | 1353 | 6.2% |
| Illinois | 955 | 4.4% |
| Alabama | 869 | 4.0% |
| Pennsylvania | 798 | 3.7% |
| Georgia | 728 | 3.4% |
| Ohio | 680 | 3.1% |
| Virginia | 654 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 9852 | 45.5% |
Location highlights
- Nearly all complaints reported in District of Columbia originated from Washington.
- Complaints in California were reported across 544 cities, the widest spread observed during the month.
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded during the month related to 8 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 13877 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 13877 | 64.1% |
| Internet | 5395 | 24.9% |
| TV | 1793 | 8.3% |
| Radio | 332 | 1.5% |
| Emergency | 128 | 0.6% |
| Accessibility | 99 | 0.5% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 24 | 0.1% |
| Broadband Story | 4 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
13877 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 64.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 7916 | 57.0% |
| Billing | 1885 | 13.6% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 1505 | 10.8% |
| Equipment | 1020 | 7.4% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 507 | 3.7% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 320 | 2.3% |
| Privacy | 296 | 2.1% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 220 | 1.6% |
| Junk Faxes | 150 | 1.1% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 46 | 0.3% |
| Rural Call Completion | 6 | 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. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
Internet complaints
5395 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 24.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 2077 | 38.5% |
| Billing | 1826 | 33.8% |
| Interference | 428 | 7.9% |
| Equipment | 385 | 7.1% |
| Speed | 365 | 6.8% |
| Privacy | 314 | 5.8% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
1793 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 8.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 892 | 49.7% |
| Billing | 458 | 25.5% |
| Loud Commercials | 157 | 8.8% |
| Indecency | 141 | 7.9% |
| Equipment | 72 | 4.0% |
| Interference | 34 | 1.9% |
| Privacy | 22 | 1.2% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Radio complaints
332 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 108 | 32.5% |
| Indecency | 62 | 18.7% |
| Availability | 49 | 14.8% |
| Billing | 42 | 12.7% |
| Pirate Radio | 40 | 12.0% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 17 | 5.1% |
| Equipment | 13 | 3.9% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Interference, Indecency and Availability.
Emergency complaints
128 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 64 | 50.0% |
| Phone | 51 | 39.8% |
| Other | 10 | 7.8% |
| Tower | 3 | 2.3% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Interference and Phone, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Accessibility complaints
99 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 22 | 22.2% |
| Closed Captioning on TV | 21 | 21.2% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 20 | 20.2% |
| Video Description | 9 | 9.1% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 6 | 6.1% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 3 | 3.0% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 2 | 2.0% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Closed Captioning over the Internet, Closed Captioning on TV and Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS).
Unwanted calls
There were 7916 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 36.6% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (866) 217-9197 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (323) 238-9356 | 4 | 0.1% |
| (614) 612-1023 | 4 | 0.1% |
| (978) 533-3451 | 4 | 0.1% |
| (458) 228-9811 | 3 | 0.0% |
| (559) 358-8865 | 3 | 0.0% |
| (571) 272-3275 | 3 | 0.0% |
| (573) 279-5447 | 3 | 0.0% |
| (605) 480-2995 | 3 | 0.0% |
| (616) 326-9733 | 3 | 0.0% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (555) 555-5555 | 13 | 0.2% |
| (855) 541-0802 | 13 | 0.2% |
| (855) 202-9439 | 12 | 0.2% |
| (833) 536-4410 | 10 | 0.1% |
| (205) 460-5863 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (380) 209-4357 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (888) 425-3183 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (321) 878-2828 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (858) 341-0749 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (877) 556-9255 | 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.
- Several business contact numbers were reported multiple times, with no single number clearly ahead of the others.
- (866) 217-9197 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.