FCC Consumer Complaints – March 2024
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 17973 consumer complaints in March 2024 relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 21057 complaints recorded the month before. Reports were received from 54 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
- 17973
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 54
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (7098)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (2168)
Daily complaint activity
The month averaged 579.8 complaints per day. The highest daily count was 850 complaints on 6 March 2024, with 21 days recording more complaints than the monthly daily average. The lowest daily total was 199 complaints on 31 March 2024, well below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
The 17973 complaints recorded in March 2024 were submitted from 4538 cities across 54 states and territories. Activity was spread across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a substantial share of complaints. At the city level, a significant concentration was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 116 of the 119 complaints recorded.
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 | 2168 | 12.1% |
| Texas | 1233 | 6.9% |
| Florida | 1219 | 6.8% |
| New York | 984 | 5.5% |
| Alabama | 814 | 4.5% |
| Illinois | 694 | 3.9% |
| Ohio | 652 | 3.6% |
| Georgia | 647 | 3.6% |
| Pennsylvania | 619 | 3.4% |
| Virginia | 536 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 8390 | 46.7% |
Location highlight
Complaint activity in District of Columbia was almost entirely concentrated in Washington.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the month fell into 8 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 12308 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 12308 | 68.5% |
| Internet | 3636 | 20.2% |
| TV | 1475 | 8.2% |
| Radio | 403 | 2.2% |
| Accessibility | 74 | 0.4% |
| Emergency | 61 | 0.3% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 15 | 0.1% |
| Broadband Story | 1 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
12308 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 68.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 7098 | 57.7% |
| Billing | 1881 | 15.3% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 1041 | 8.5% |
| Equipment | 944 | 7.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 374 | 3.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 252 | 2.0% |
| Privacy | 246 | 2.0% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 227 | 1.8% |
| Junk Faxes | 190 | 1.5% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 48 | 0.4% |
| Rural Call Completion | 3 | 0.0% |
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. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
Internet complaints
3636 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 20.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1503 | 41.3% |
| Availability | 1140 | 31.4% |
| Speed | 305 | 8.4% |
| Interference | 262 | 7.2% |
| Equipment | 217 | 6.0% |
| Privacy | 209 | 5.7% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
1475 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 8.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 802 | 54.4% |
| Billing | 428 | 29.0% |
| Loud Commercials | 84 | 5.7% |
| Indecency | 58 | 3.9% |
| Equipment | 43 | 2.9% |
| Interference | 38 | 2.6% |
| Privacy | 17 | 1.2% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Radio complaints
403 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 2.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 147 | 36.5% |
| Pirate Radio | 92 | 22.8% |
| Availability | 76 | 18.9% |
| Indecency | 51 | 12.7% |
| Billing | 18 | 4.5% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 13 | 3.2% |
| Equipment | 3 | 0.7% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Interference, Pirate Radio and Availability.
Accessibility complaints
74 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning on TV | 22 | 29.7% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 22 | 29.7% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 17 | 23.0% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 1 | 1.4% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 1 | 1.4% |
| Video Description | 1 | 1.4% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Closed Captioning on TV, Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) and Closed Captioning over the Internet.
Emergency complaints
61 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 27 | 44.3% |
| Other | 19 | 31.1% |
| Tower | 10 | 16.4% |
| Phone | 5 | 8.2% |
Interference and Other accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
There were 7098 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 39.5% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (857) 343-3841 | 14 | 0.2% |
| (302) 446-3438 | 11 | 0.2% |
| (202) 539-9268 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (443) 714-6928 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (469) 887-1073 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (571) 272-4000 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (443) 714-6775 | 4 | 0.1% |
| (906) 207-8316 | 4 | 0.1% |
| (914) 268-6346 | 4 | 0.1% |
| (404) 806-4811 | 3 | 0.0% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (844) 512-4100 | 38 | 0.5% |
| (844) 512-3052 | 15 | 0.2% |
| (844) 412-0222 | 13 | 0.2% |
| (561) 377-2600 | 10 | 0.1% |
| (800) 508-1077 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (844) 513-4005 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (833) 421-1235 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (833) 901-6500 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (844) 474-2375 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (844) 513-6097 | 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.
- (844) 512-4100 stood out as the most frequently reported business contact number.
- (857) 343-3841 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.