FCC Consumer Complaints – 3 October 2023

Introduction

On 3 October 2023, 805 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was higher than the 783 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 49 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls recorded a slightly higher number of complaints than other issues.

Key statistics

Total complaints
805
States & territories reporting
49
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (302)
Most reported state/territory
California (119)

Where the complaints came from

Reports recorded on 3 October 2023 show 805 complaints originating from 556 cities across 49 states and territories. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. At the city level, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share of the total.

The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.

State/Territory Complaints
California 119 14.8%
Texas 61 7.6%
Florida 60 7.5%
New York 55 6.8%
Washington 42 5.2%
Virginia 38 4.7%
Connecticut 32 4.0%
Georgia 32 4.0%
North Carolina 24 3.0%
Pennsylvania 24 3.0%
Other states and territories 318 39.5%

What the complaints were about

Complaints recorded on this date related to 7 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 551 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 551 68.4%
Internet 184 22.9%
TV 48 6.0%
Radio 13 1.6%
Accessibility 4 0.5%
Request for Dispute Assistance 3 0.4%
Emergency 2 0.2%

Phone complaints

551 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 68.4% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 302 54.8%
Billing 88 16.0%
Availability (including rural call completion) 69 12.5%
Equipment 32 5.8%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 23 4.2%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 10 1.8%
Privacy 10 1.8%
Interference (including signal jammers) 9 1.6%
Junk Faxes 6 1.1%
Rural Call Completion 1 0.2%
Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) 1 0.2%

As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided 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

184 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 22.9% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 72 39.1%
Availability 68 37.0%
Interference 14 7.6%
Speed 13 7.1%
Equipment 10 5.4%
Privacy 7 3.8%

Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.

TV complaints

48 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.0% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 17 35.4%
Availability 11 22.9%
Indecency 10 20.8%
Loud Commercials 4 8.3%
Equipment 2 4.2%
Interference 2 4.2%
Privacy 2 4.2%

A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability and Indecency among the most common.

Page last updated: 4 October 2023 with FCC complaints data from 3 October 2023.

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.