FCC Consumer Complaints – October 2023
Introduction
In October 2023, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 21609 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented an increase from the 20495 complaints recorded the previous month. The complaints came from 55 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
- 21609
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 55
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (8137)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (2557)
Daily complaint activity
The month averaged 697.1 complaints per day. The highest daily count was 933 complaints on 17 October 2023, with 21 days recording more complaints than the monthly daily average. The lowest daily total was 298 complaints on 8 October 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 5380 cities in 55 states and territories, a total of 21609 complaints were recorded in October 2023. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 105 of the 113 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 | 2557 | 11.8% |
| Texas | 1608 | 7.4% |
| Florida | 1507 | 7.0% |
| New York | 1357 | 6.3% |
| Illinois | 1025 | 4.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 886 | 4.1% |
| Ohio | 771 | 3.6% |
| Georgia | 738 | 3.4% |
| Washington | 640 | 3.0% |
| Alabama | 631 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 9878 | 45.7% |
Location highlight
Washington accounted for nearly all complaints recorded in District of Columbia.
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded during the month related to 7 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 14593 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 14593 | 67.5% |
| Internet | 4839 | 22.4% |
| TV | 1468 | 6.8% |
| Radio | 487 | 2.3% |
| Accessibility | 123 | 0.6% |
| Emergency | 75 | 0.3% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 24 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
14593 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 67.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 8137 | 55.8% |
| Billing | 2171 | 14.9% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 1416 | 9.7% |
| Equipment | 1072 | 7.3% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 510 | 3.5% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 349 | 2.4% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 301 | 2.1% |
| Privacy | 286 | 2.0% |
| Junk Faxes | 246 | 1.7% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 61 | 0.4% |
| Rural Call Completion | 9 | 0.1% |
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
4839 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 22.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1919 | 39.7% |
| Availability | 1592 | 32.9% |
| Interference | 378 | 7.8% |
| Speed | 354 | 7.3% |
| Equipment | 311 | 6.4% |
| Privacy | 285 | 5.9% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
1468 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 6.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 591 | 40.3% |
| Billing | 442 | 30.1% |
| Indecency | 158 | 10.8% |
| Loud Commercials | 128 | 8.7% |
| Equipment | 74 | 5.0% |
| Interference | 48 | 3.3% |
| Privacy | 19 | 1.3% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Radio complaints
487 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 2.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 192 | 39.4% |
| Availability | 87 | 17.9% |
| Pirate Radio | 82 | 16.8% |
| Indecency | 64 | 13.1% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 23 | 4.7% |
| Billing | 19 | 3.9% |
| Equipment | 11 | 2.3% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Interference, Availability and Pirate Radio.
Accessibility complaints
123 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 30 | 24.4% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 21 | 17.1% |
| Closed Captioning on TV | 17 | 13.8% |
| Video Description | 15 | 12.2% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 7 | 5.7% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 1 | 0.8% |
| 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.
Emergency complaints
75 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 32 | 42.7% |
| Other | 22 | 29.3% |
| Phone | 16 | 21.3% |
| Tower | 5 | 6.7% |
Interference and Other accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
8137 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 37.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (754) 323-6800 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (571) 272-3150 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (816) 310-0141 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (207) 241-9237 | 4 | 0.0% |
| (833) 652-7555 | 4 | 0.0% |
| (207) 261-0831 | 3 | 0.0% |
| (212) 540-3967 | 3 | 0.0% |
| (217) 301-7008 | 3 | 0.0% |
| (352) 702-5814 | 3 | 0.0% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (833) 652-7555 | 28 | 0.3% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 23 | 0.3% |
| (877) 813-1115 | 13 | 0.2% |
| (754) 323-6800 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (215) 967-3927 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (888) 402-6918 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (207) 241-9237 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (844) 463-6837 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (281) 957-3350 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (480) 771-5730 | 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.
- (833) 652-7555 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- (754) 323-6800 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.