FCC Consumer Complaints – August 2023
Introduction
In August 2023, 23140 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was higher than the 21652 complaints recorded the previous month. Complaints were reported across 56 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Complaints relating to Unwanted Calls were marginally higher than for other issue types.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 23140
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 56
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (8316)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (2686)
Daily complaint activity
Daily complaint activity averaged 746.5 complaints per day during the month. The busiest day was 17 August 2023, when 1093 complaints were recorded, and 23 days were above the monthly daily average. The lowest daily total was 322 complaints on 27 August 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 23140 complaints recorded in August 2023 originated from 5495 cities across 56 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. Despite the overall distribution, a notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 70 of the 75 complaints recorded in the state.
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 | 2686 | 11.6% |
| Texas | 2131 | 9.2% |
| Florida | 1568 | 6.8% |
| New York | 1313 | 5.7% |
| Alabama | 913 | 3.9% |
| Pennsylvania | 818 | 3.5% |
| Illinois | 792 | 3.4% |
| Georgia | 787 | 3.4% |
| Ohio | 780 | 3.4% |
| North Carolina | 750 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 10590 | 45.8% |
Location highlights
- Complaint activity in District of Columbia was almost entirely concentrated in Washington.
- California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 533 different cities.
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded during the month related to 7 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 14990 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 14990 | 64.8% |
| Internet | 5692 | 24.6% |
| TV | 1834 | 7.9% |
| Radio | 311 | 1.3% |
| Emergency | 152 | 0.7% |
| Accessibility | 121 | 0.5% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 40 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
14990 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 64.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 8316 | 55.5% |
| Billing | 1960 | 13.1% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 1616 | 10.8% |
| Equipment | 1061 | 7.1% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 532 | 3.5% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 400 | 2.7% |
| Privacy | 327 | 2.2% |
| Junk Faxes | 291 | 1.9% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 209 | 1.4% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 52 | 0.3% |
| Rural Call Completion | 5 | 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
5692 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 24.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 2070 | 36.4% |
| Billing | 2067 | 36.3% |
| Interference | 452 | 7.9% |
| Equipment | 399 | 7.0% |
| Speed | 392 | 6.9% |
| Privacy | 312 | 5.5% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
1834 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 7.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 915 | 49.9% |
| Billing | 500 | 27.3% |
| Loud Commercials | 160 | 8.7% |
| Indecency | 96 | 5.2% |
| Equipment | 82 | 4.5% |
| Interference | 57 | 3.1% |
| Privacy | 16 | 0.9% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Radio complaints
311 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 115 | 37.0% |
| Indecency | 60 | 19.3% |
| Availability | 56 | 18.0% |
| Pirate Radio | 46 | 14.8% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 16 | 5.1% |
| Billing | 8 | 2.6% |
| Equipment | 7 | 2.3% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Interference, Indecency and Availability.
Emergency complaints
152 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 69 | 45.4% |
| Phone | 45 | 29.6% |
| Tower | 20 | 13.2% |
| Other | 18 | 11.8% |
Interference and Phone accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Accessibility complaints
121 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 30 | 24.8% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 27 | 22.3% |
| Closed Captioning on TV | 21 | 17.4% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 6 | 5.0% |
| Video Description | 5 | 4.1% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 2 | 1.7% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 1 | 0.8% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS), Closed Captioning over the Internet and Closed Captioning on TV.
Request for Dispute Assistance complaints
40 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|
Unwanted calls
8316 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 35.9% of all complaints. Reports referenced both caller ID numbers and business contact numbers, with number tables shown where meaningful patterns are present.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (989) 633-2880 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (571) 272-3275 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (800) 432-1000 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (360) 242-6054 | 4 | 0.0% |
| (404) 806-4812 | 4 | 0.0% |
| (513) 253-4400 | 4 | 0.0% |
| (541) 694-8420 | 4 | 0.0% |
| (800) 633-4227 | 4 | 0.0% |
| (813) 421-9135 | 4 | 0.0% |
| (352) 702-5814 | 3 | 0.0% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (855) 775-8814 | 25 | 0.3% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 16 | 0.2% |
| (855) 541-0802 | 10 | 0.1% |
| (877) 594-1885 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (855) 515-0362 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (877) 556-9255 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (833) 435-3496 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (866) 202-3044 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (989) 633-2880 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (202) 992-1859 | 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) 775-8814 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- (989) 633-2880 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.