FCC Consumer Complaints – 21 October 2023
Introduction
A total of 423 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on 21 October 2023, this was lower than the 773 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 50 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Complaints relating to Unwanted Calls were marginally higher than for other issue types.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 423
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (137)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (51)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 21 October 2023 show 423 complaints originating from 305 cities across 50 states and territories. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 51 | 12.1% |
| Texas | 30 | 7.1% |
| Florida | 28 | 6.6% |
| New York | 28 | 6.6% |
| Alabama | 27 | 6.4% |
| Illinois | 21 | 5.0% |
| North Carolina | 15 | 3.5% |
| Ohio | 15 | 3.5% |
| Georgia | 14 | 3.3% |
| Tennessee | 14 | 3.3% |
| Other states and territories | 180 | 42.6% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 6 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 266 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 266 | 62.9% |
| Internet | 95 | 22.5% |
| TV | 40 | 9.5% |
| Radio | 18 | 4.3% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.5% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 2 | 0.5% |
Phone complaints
266 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 62.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 137 | 51.5% |
| Billing | 42 | 15.8% |
| Equipment | 26 | 9.8% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 24 | 9.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 12 | 4.5% |
| Privacy | 10 | 3.8% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 7 | 2.6% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 6 | 2.3% |
| Junk Faxes | 1 | 0.4% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.4% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).
Internet complaints
95 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 22.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 35 | 36.8% |
| Billing | 23 | 24.2% |
| Equipment | 14 | 14.7% |
| Interference | 10 | 10.5% |
| Speed | 8 | 8.4% |
| Privacy | 5 | 5.3% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
40 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 26 | 65.0% |
| Billing | 5 | 12.5% |
| Indecency | 4 | 10.0% |
| Loud Commercials | 3 | 7.5% |
| Privacy | 2 | 5.0% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
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.