FCC Consumer Complaints – November 2023
Introduction
In November 2023, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 21990 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume increased from 21609 complaints the month before. Reports were received from 55 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 9390 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 21990
- Days with complaint data
- 30
- Days with complaints
- 30
- States & territories reporting
- 55
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (9390)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (2592)
Daily complaint activity
Daily complaint activity averaged 733 complaints per day during the month. The busiest day was 7 November 2023, when 1160 complaints were recorded, and 20 days were above the monthly daily average. The lowest daily total was 284 complaints on 23 November 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 21990 complaints recorded in November 2023 were submitted from 5137 cities across 55 states and territories. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. At the city level, a significant concentration was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 105 of the 114 complaints recorded.
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 | 2592 | 11.8% |
| Texas | 1602 | 7.3% |
| Illinois | 1451 | 6.6% |
| Florida | 1432 | 6.5% |
| New York | 1203 | 5.5% |
| Alabama | 956 | 4.3% |
| Ohio | 823 | 3.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 789 | 3.6% |
| Georgia | 718 | 3.3% |
| New Jersey | 598 | 2.7% |
| Other states and territories | 9814 | 44.6% |
Location highlight
Washington accounted for nearly all complaints recorded in District of Columbia.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the month fell into 8 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 15116 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 15116 | 68.7% |
| Internet | 4566 | 20.8% |
| TV | 1749 | 8.0% |
| Radio | 372 | 1.7% |
| Accessibility | 109 | 0.5% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 40 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 35 | 0.2% |
| Broadband Story | 3 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
15116 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 68.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 9390 | 62.1% |
| Billing | 1897 | 12.5% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 1279 | 8.5% |
| Equipment | 948 | 6.3% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 548 | 3.6% |
| Privacy | 266 | 1.8% |
| Junk Faxes | 254 | 1.7% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 240 | 1.6% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 232 | 1.5% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 46 | 0.3% |
| Rural Call Completion | 3 | 0.0% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
Internet complaints
4566 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 20.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1754 | 38.4% |
| Availability | 1499 | 32.8% |
| Interference | 398 | 8.7% |
| Speed | 318 | 7.0% |
| Equipment | 304 | 6.7% |
| Privacy | 293 | 6.4% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
1749 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 8.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 942 | 53.9% |
| Billing | 389 | 22.2% |
| Loud Commercials | 152 | 8.7% |
| Indecency | 112 | 6.4% |
| Equipment | 64 | 3.7% |
| Interference | 62 | 3.5% |
| Privacy | 13 | 0.7% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Radio complaints
372 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 127 | 34.1% |
| Availability | 96 | 25.8% |
| Pirate Radio | 72 | 19.4% |
| Indecency | 30 | 8.1% |
| Equipment | 17 | 4.6% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 15 | 4.0% |
| Billing | 12 | 3.2% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Interference, Availability and Pirate Radio.
Accessibility complaints
109 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 34 | 31.2% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 15 | 13.8% |
| Closed Captioning on TV | 10 | 9.2% |
| Video Description | 6 | 5.5% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 5 | 4.6% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 2 | 1.8% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 1 | 0.9% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several 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 |
|---|
Emergency complaints
35 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 15 | 42.9% |
| Tower | 8 | 22.9% |
| Other | 6 | 17.1% |
| Phone | 6 | 17.1% |
Interference and Tower accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
9390 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 42.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (540) 315-8592 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (435) 264-7697 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (435) 271-7801 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (435) 271-7802 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (361) 337-2991 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (435) 260-6497 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (207) 548-5934 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (435) 271-7797 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (435) 271-7798 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (855) 861-1589 | 5 | 0.1% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (833) 435-4428 | 52 | 0.6% |
| (888) 721-6387 | 42 | 0.4% |
| (435) 264-7697 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (855) 673-4516 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (540) 315-8592 | 11 | 0.1% |
| (610) 281-3723 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (435) 271-7802 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (435) 271-7797 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (435) 271-7801 | 7 | 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) 435-4428 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- (540) 315-8592 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.