FCC Consumer Complaints – January 2025
Introduction
In January 2025, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 25849 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented an increase from the 23900 complaints recorded the month before. Complaints were reported across 54 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
- 25849
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 54
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (10520)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (2880)
Daily complaint activity
Across the month, the FCC recorded an average of 833.8 complaints per day. The highest daily total was 1125 complaints on 23 January 2025, while 20 days recorded more complaints than the monthly daily average. The lowest daily total was 369 complaints on 26 January 2025, well below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
A total of 25849 complaints were recorded in January 2025, with reports originating from 5704 cities in 54 states and territories. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 81 of the 90 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 | 2880 | 11.1% |
| Texas | 2021 | 7.8% |
| Florida | 1866 | 7.2% |
| New York | 1497 | 5.8% |
| North Carolina | 978 | 3.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 959 | 3.7% |
| Washington | 956 | 3.7% |
| Illinois | 921 | 3.6% |
| Ohio | 897 | 3.5% |
| Georgia | 887 | 3.4% |
| Other states and territories | 11975 | 46.3% |
Location highlight
Complaint activity in District of Columbia was almost entirely concentrated in Washington.
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded during the month related to 7 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 18625 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 18625 | 72.1% |
| Internet | 4648 | 18.0% |
| TV | 1666 | 6.4% |
| Radio | 562 | 2.2% |
| Accessibility | 204 | 0.8% |
| Emergency | 123 | 0.5% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 21 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
18625 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 72.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 10520 | 56.5% |
| Billing | 3024 | 16.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 1673 | 9.0% |
| Equipment | 1385 | 7.4% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 855 | 4.6% |
| Privacy | 348 | 1.9% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 326 | 1.8% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 235 | 1.3% |
| Junk Faxes | 165 | 0.9% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 72 | 0.4% |
| Rural Call Completion | 1 | 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. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
Internet complaints
4648 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 18.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 2177 | 46.8% |
| Availability | 1211 | 26.1% |
| Speed | 409 | 8.8% |
| Interference | 325 | 7.0% |
| Equipment | 297 | 6.4% |
| Privacy | 229 | 4.9% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
1666 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 6.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 634 | 38.1% |
| Availability | 523 | 31.4% |
| Indecency | 200 | 12.0% |
| Loud Commercials | 134 | 8.0% |
| Equipment | 77 | 4.6% |
| Interference | 57 | 3.4% |
| Privacy | 28 | 1.7% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Radio complaints
562 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 2.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 196 | 34.9% |
| Indecency | 113 | 20.1% |
| Pirate Radio | 106 | 18.9% |
| Availability | 102 | 18.1% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 15 | 2.7% |
| Equipment | 14 | 2.5% |
| Billing | 8 | 1.4% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Interference, Indecency and Pirate Radio.
Accessibility complaints
204 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning on TV | 83 | 40.7% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 60 | 29.4% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 19 | 9.3% |
| Video Description | 6 | 2.9% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 5 | 2.5% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 2 | 1.0% |
Closed Captioning on TV and Closed Captioning over the Internet accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Emergency complaints
123 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 39 | 31.7% |
| Phone | 39 | 31.7% |
| Other | 36 | 29.3% |
| Tower | 9 | 7.3% |
Interference and Phone accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
There were 10520 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 40.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (877) 200-2515 | 16 | 0.2% |
| (216) 361-3312 | 10 | 0.1% |
| (877) 867-5139 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (235) 777-0098 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (949) 726-6039 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (443) 328-0869 | 5 | 0.0% |
| (501) 316-4357 | 4 | 0.0% |
| (970) 293-0680 | 4 | 0.0% |
| (202) 771-1154 | 3 | 0.0% |
| (202) 771-2857 | 3 | 0.0% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (877) 200-2515 | 282 | 2.7% |
| (877) 867-5139 | 105 | 1.0% |
| (877) 200-4023 | 61 | 0.6% |
| (443) 328-0869 | 13 | 0.1% |
| (833) 453-5888 | 13 | 0.1% |
| (877) 201-1769 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (888) 211-6170 | 10 | 0.1% |
| (877) 556-9255 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (443) 328-0871 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (888) 357-0243 | 8 | 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) 200-2515 stood out as the most frequently reported business contact number.
- (877) 200-2515 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.