FCC Consumer Complaints – September 2024
Introduction
A total of 25469 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission in September 2024, this was lower than the 27329 complaints recorded the month before. The complaints came from 55 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Unwanted Calls was reported slightly more frequently than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 25469
- Days with complaint data
- 30
- Days with complaints
- 30
- States & territories reporting
- 55
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (9840)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (2953)
Daily complaint activity
Daily complaint activity averaged 849 complaints per day during the month. The busiest day was 30 September 2024, when 1453 complaints were recorded, and 20 days were above the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 22 September 2024, with 369 complaints, noticeably below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
Across 5653 cities in 55 states and territories, a total of 25469 complaints were recorded in September 2024. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 96 of the 109 complaints recorded in the state.
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 | 2953 | 11.6% |
| Texas | 2075 | 8.1% |
| Florida | 1879 | 7.4% |
| New York | 1527 | 6.0% |
| Washington | 999 | 3.9% |
| Pennsylvania | 953 | 3.7% |
| Illinois | 942 | 3.7% |
| North Carolina | 911 | 3.6% |
| Ohio | 842 | 3.3% |
| Georgia | 808 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 11576 | 45.5% |
Location highlight
A large share of complaints in District of Columbia originated from Washington, which accounted for most reports within the state.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the month fell into 8 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 17994 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 17994 | 70.7% |
| Internet | 5057 | 19.9% |
| TV | 1629 | 6.4% |
| Radio | 511 | 2.0% |
| Emergency | 174 | 0.7% |
| Accessibility | 81 | 0.3% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 22 | 0.1% |
| Broadband Story | 1 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
17994 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 70.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 9840 | 54.7% |
| Billing | 2893 | 16.1% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 2013 | 11.2% |
| Equipment | 1331 | 7.4% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 708 | 3.9% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 307 | 1.7% |
| Privacy | 290 | 1.6% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 282 | 1.6% |
| Junk Faxes | 260 | 1.4% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 56 | 0.3% |
| Rural Call Completion | 4 | 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. A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment among the most common.
Internet complaints
5057 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 19.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 2008 | 39.7% |
| Availability | 1629 | 32.2% |
| Speed | 436 | 8.6% |
| Equipment | 402 | 7.9% |
| Interference | 371 | 7.3% |
| Privacy | 211 | 4.2% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
1629 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 6.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 580 | 35.6% |
| Billing | 521 | 32.0% |
| Indecency | 178 | 10.9% |
| Loud Commercials | 166 | 10.2% |
| Interference | 75 | 4.6% |
| Equipment | 67 | 4.1% |
| Privacy | 29 | 1.8% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Radio complaints
511 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 2.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 196 | 38.4% |
| Availability | 115 | 22.5% |
| Indecency | 73 | 14.3% |
| Pirate Radio | 68 | 13.3% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 19 | 3.7% |
| Equipment | 17 | 3.3% |
| Billing | 16 | 3.1% |
Interference and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Emergency complaints
174 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 77 | 44.3% |
| Interference | 50 | 28.7% |
| Phone | 35 | 20.1% |
| Tower | 12 | 6.9% |
Other and Interference were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Accessibility complaints
81 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning on TV | 28 | 34.6% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 19 | 23.5% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 9 | 11.1% |
| Video Description | 5 | 6.2% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 3 | 3.7% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 2 | 2.5% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 1 | 1.2% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Closed Captioning on TV, Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) and Closed Captioning over the Internet among the most common.
Unwanted calls
There were 9840 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 38.6% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (877) 406-5590 | 20 | 0.2% |
| (216) 306-6700 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (435) 255-1565 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (771) 208-0588 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (877) 941-1106 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (573) 262-9967 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (614) 490-1009 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (888) 599-0137 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (201) 778-2007 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (440) 455-7214 | 5 | 0.1% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (877) 941-1106 | 61 | 0.6% |
| (877) 406-5590 | 32 | 0.3% |
| (866) 659-0805 | 19 | 0.2% |
| (877) 220-0211 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (866) 659-6972 | 10 | 0.1% |
| (855) 919-1225 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (216) 306-6700 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (866) 918-1918 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (877) 941-1150 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (323) 328-8953 | 7 | 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.
- (877) 941-1106 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- (877) 406-5590 stood out as the most frequently reported caller ID number.
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.