FCC Consumer Complaints – May 2024
Introduction
In May 2024, 25686 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was higher than the 22588 complaints recorded the month before. Complaints were reported across 55 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Complaints relating to Unwanted Calls were marginally higher than for other issue types.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 25686
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 55
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (10261)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (2844)
Daily complaint activity
Daily complaint activity averaged 828.6 complaints per day during the month. The busiest day was 22 May 2024, when 1510 complaints were recorded, and 21 days were above the monthly daily average. The lowest daily total was 317 complaints on 12 May 2024, well below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded in May 2024 show 25686 complaints originating from 5547 cities across 55 states and territories. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. Despite the overall distribution, a notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 98 of the 103 complaints recorded in the state.
The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this month, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 2844 | 11.1% |
| Texas | 2162 | 8.4% |
| Florida | 1684 | 6.6% |
| New York | 1399 | 5.4% |
| Alabama | 1152 | 4.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 1139 | 4.4% |
| Ohio | 958 | 3.7% |
| Georgia | 858 | 3.3% |
| Washington | 848 | 3.3% |
| Illinois | 823 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 11810 | 46.0% |
Location highlights
- Complaint activity in District of Columbia was almost entirely concentrated in Washington.
- Complaints in California were reported across 557 cities, the widest spread observed during the month.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the month fell into 8 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 18191 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 18191 | 70.8% |
| Internet | 4465 | 17.4% |
| TV | 2323 | 9.0% |
| Radio | 428 | 1.7% |
| Emergency | 146 | 0.6% |
| Accessibility | 112 | 0.4% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 18 | 0.1% |
| Broadband Story | 3 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
18191 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 70.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 10261 | 56.4% |
| Billing | 3297 | 18.1% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 1648 | 9.1% |
| Equipment | 1148 | 6.3% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 553 | 3.0% |
| Privacy | 346 | 1.9% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 327 | 1.8% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 267 | 1.5% |
| Junk Faxes | 263 | 1.4% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 75 | 0.4% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
Internet complaints
4465 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 17.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1764 | 39.5% |
| Availability | 1493 | 33.4% |
| Speed | 385 | 8.6% |
| Interference | 331 | 7.4% |
| Equipment | 325 | 7.3% |
| Privacy | 167 | 3.7% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
2323 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 9.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 1154 | 49.7% |
| Loud Commercials | 465 | 20.0% |
| Billing | 427 | 18.4% |
| Indecency | 132 | 5.7% |
| Equipment | 74 | 3.2% |
| Interference | 34 | 1.5% |
| Privacy | 25 | 1.1% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Loud Commercials, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Radio complaints
428 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 122 | 28.5% |
| Availability | 102 | 23.8% |
| Pirate Radio | 96 | 22.4% |
| Indecency | 59 | 13.8% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 18 | 4.2% |
| Equipment | 16 | 3.7% |
| Billing | 11 | 2.6% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Interference, Availability and Pirate Radio.
Emergency complaints
146 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 49 | 33.6% |
| Interference | 47 | 32.2% |
| Phone | 43 | 29.5% |
| Tower | 7 | 4.8% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Other and Interference, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Accessibility complaints
112 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning on TV | 41 | 36.6% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 25 | 22.3% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 19 | 17.0% |
| Video Description | 3 | 2.7% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 2 | 1.8% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 1 | 0.9% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 1 | 0.9% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Closed Captioning on TV, Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) and Closed Captioning over the Internet.
Unwanted calls
A total of 10261 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 39.9% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact numbers are shown below where sufficient data is available.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (815) 422-1052 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (833) 862-0724 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (720) 784-8956 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (610) 273-8716 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (202) 798-8524 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (202) 505-8653 | 5 | 0.0% |
| (202) 539-9268 | 5 | 0.0% |
| (346) 421-7810 | 5 | 0.0% |
| (404) 806-4811 | 4 | 0.0% |
| (513) 831-2600 | 4 | 0.0% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (888) 531-5941 | 20 | 0.2% |
| (888) 531-6256 | 16 | 0.2% |
| (815) 422-1052 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (888) 531-7002 | 10 | 0.1% |
| (833) 862-0724 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (888) 531-7285 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (720) 784-8956 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (888) 531-5541 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (202) 539-9268 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 6 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- Other Services accounted for the largest share of unwanted call complaints by service type.
- Live Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (888) 531-5941 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- (815) 422-1052 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.