FCC Consumer Complaints – December 2023
Introduction
In December 2023, 19066 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was lower than the 21990 complaints recorded the month before. Reports were received from 55 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
- 19066
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 55
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (6799)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (2273)
Daily complaint activity
The month averaged 615 complaints per day. The highest daily count was 897 complaints on 5 December 2023, with 19 days recording more complaints than the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 25 December 2023, with 183 complaints, noticeably below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
The 19066 complaints recorded in December 2023 originated from 4962 cities across 55 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 73 of the 81 complaints recorded in the state.
The table below summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory during the month, ordered by total reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 2273 | 11.9% |
| Texas | 1505 | 7.9% |
| Florida | 1252 | 6.6% |
| New York | 1143 | 6.0% |
| Illinois | 1089 | 5.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 748 | 3.9% |
| Georgia | 637 | 3.3% |
| Washington | 609 | 3.2% |
| Ohio | 584 | 3.1% |
| Alabama | 580 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 8636 | 45.3% |
Location highlights
- Nearly all complaints reported in District of Columbia originated from Washington.
- Complaints in California were reported across 512 cities, the widest spread observed during the month.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the month were spread across 7 complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 12351 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 12351 | 64.8% |
| Internet | 4649 | 24.4% |
| TV | 1513 | 7.9% |
| Radio | 379 | 2.0% |
| Accessibility | 88 | 0.5% |
| Emergency | 63 | 0.3% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 23 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
12351 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 64.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 6799 | 55.0% |
| Billing | 1924 | 15.6% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 1252 | 10.1% |
| Equipment | 921 | 7.5% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 543 | 4.4% |
| Privacy | 294 | 2.4% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 211 | 1.7% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 202 | 1.6% |
| Junk Faxes | 139 | 1.1% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 55 | 0.4% |
| Rural Call Completion | 2 | 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
4649 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 24.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1725 | 37.1% |
| Availability | 1506 | 32.4% |
| Speed | 386 | 8.3% |
| Interference | 385 | 8.3% |
| Privacy | 328 | 7.1% |
| Equipment | 319 | 6.9% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
1513 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 7.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 722 | 47.7% |
| Billing | 416 | 27.5% |
| Loud Commercials | 146 | 9.6% |
| Indecency | 115 | 7.6% |
| Equipment | 50 | 3.3% |
| Interference | 39 | 2.6% |
| Privacy | 18 | 1.2% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Radio complaints
379 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 2.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 118 | 31.1% |
| Pirate Radio | 80 | 21.1% |
| Availability | 78 | 20.6% |
| Indecency | 56 | 14.8% |
| Billing | 17 | 4.5% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 14 | 3.7% |
| Equipment | 11 | 2.9% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Interference, Pirate Radio and Availability.
Accessibility complaints
88 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 21 | 23.9% |
| Closed Captioning on TV | 16 | 18.2% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 16 | 18.2% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 6 | 6.8% |
| Video Description | 6 | 6.8% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 3 | 3.4% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 2 | 2.3% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Closed Captioning over the Internet, Closed Captioning on TV and Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS).
Emergency complaints
63 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 30 | 47.6% |
| Phone | 19 | 30.2% |
| Other | 10 | 15.9% |
| Tower | 4 | 6.3% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Interference and Phone, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Unwanted calls
There were 6799 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 35.7% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact number details are listed below where there is enough concentration to make the data meaningful.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (540) 315-8592 | 28 | 0.4% |
| (901) 676-7051 | 15 | 0.2% |
| (571) 272-6500 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (617) 607-2001 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (833) 604-3866 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (435) 261-3250 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (404) 806-4811 | 4 | 0.1% |
| (530) 358-4151 | 4 | 0.1% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 4 | 0.1% |
| (586) 355-5251 | 4 | 0.1% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (833) 431-2961 | 42 | 0.6% |
| (540) 315-8592 | 36 | 0.5% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 25 | 0.4% |
| (833) 435-4428 | 25 | 0.4% |
| (855) 649-1272 | 24 | 0.4% |
| (855) 673-4516 | 17 | 0.3% |
| (901) 554-5163 | 13 | 0.2% |
| (435) 261-3250 | 10 | 0.1% |
| (888) 721-6387 | 10 | 0.1% |
| (617) 607-2001 | 9 | 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) 431-2961 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.