FCC Consumer Complaints – January 2026
Introduction
In January 2026, 30412 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, complaint volume increased from 27205 complaints the month before. Complaints were reported across 55 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Unwanted Calls recorded a slightly higher number of complaints than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 30412
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 55
- Government shutdown days
- 1
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (11775)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (4121)
Daily complaint activity
The daily pattern was affected by 1 day within a government shutdown period. Across the month, the average was 981 complaints per day, and the highest daily total was 1425 complaints on 15 January 2026. 18 days were above the monthly daily average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
Across 5931 cities in 55 states and territories, a total of 30412 complaints were recorded in January 2026. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. Despite the overall distribution, a notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 71 of the 87 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 | 4121 | 13.6% |
| Texas | 2559 | 8.4% |
| Florida | 2446 | 8.0% |
| New York | 1887 | 6.2% |
| Georgia | 1234 | 4.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 1153 | 3.8% |
| North Carolina | 1020 | 3.4% |
| Illinois | 1010 | 3.3% |
| Washington | 899 | 3.0% |
| New Jersey | 891 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 13184 | 43.4% |
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
Complaints recorded during the month related to 7 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 23565 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 23565 | 77.5% |
| Internet | 5016 | 16.5% |
| TV | 1144 | 3.8% |
| Radio | 407 | 1.3% |
| Emergency | 143 | 0.5% |
| Accessibility | 115 | 0.4% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 22 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
23565 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 77.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 11775 | 50.0% |
| Billing | 5460 | 23.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 2253 | 9.6% |
| Equipment | 1662 | 7.1% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 1028 | 4.4% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 600 | 2.5% |
| Privacy | 319 | 1.4% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 267 | 1.1% |
| Junk Faxes | 93 | 0.4% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 91 | 0.4% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail 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
5016 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 16.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 2578 | 51.4% |
| Availability | 1177 | 23.5% |
| Interference | 385 | 7.7% |
| Speed | 354 | 7.1% |
| Equipment | 327 | 6.5% |
| Privacy | 194 | 3.9% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
1144 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 3.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 413 | 36.1% |
| Availability | 258 | 22.6% |
| Indecency | 180 | 15.7% |
| Loud Commercials | 179 | 15.6% |
| Interference | 43 | 3.8% |
| Equipment | 41 | 3.6% |
| Privacy | 26 | 2.3% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Indecency.
Radio complaints
407 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 132 | 32.4% |
| Pirate Radio | 105 | 25.8% |
| Availability | 81 | 19.9% |
| Indecency | 40 | 9.8% |
| Equipment | 28 | 6.9% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 8 | 2.0% |
| Billing | 5 | 1.2% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Interference, Pirate Radio and Availability.
Emergency complaints
143 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 59 | 41.3% |
| Phone | 39 | 27.3% |
| Tower | 25 | 17.5% |
| Other | 20 | 14.0% |
Interference and Phone accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Accessibility complaints
115 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning on TV | 44 | 38.3% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 27 | 23.5% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 25 | 21.7% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 3 | 2.6% |
| Video Description | 3 | 2.6% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 2 | 1.7% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 2 | 1.7% |
Closed Captioning on TV and Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
11775 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 38.7% of all complaints. Reports referenced both caller ID numbers and business contact numbers, with number tables shown where meaningful patterns are present.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (850) 724-9379 | 23 | 0.2% |
| (877) 419-6664 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (866) 959-0957 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (209) 655-4105 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (323) 522-5478 | 5 | 0.0% |
| (866) 959-1584 | 5 | 0.0% |
| (903) 272-1360 | 5 | 0.0% |
| (920) 486-9994 | 5 | 0.0% |
| (607) 606-9322 | 4 | 0.0% |
| (720) 897-0778 | 4 | 0.0% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (877) 419-6664 | 231 | 2.0% |
| (866) 959-0957 | 158 | 1.3% |
| (844) 509-2929 | 79 | 0.7% |
| (866) 959-0960 | 72 | 0.6% |
| (855) 909-0847 | 63 | 0.5% |
| (866) 959-1584 | 62 | 0.5% |
| (508) 534-6364 | 55 | 0.5% |
| (855) 909-0937 | 51 | 0.4% |
| (800) 294-9424 | 32 | 0.3% |
| (855) 909-0886 | 30 | 0.3% |
Key patterns
- Other Services was reported slightly more often than other service types.
- Prerecorded Voice accounted for the largest share of unwanted call complaints by call type.
- (877) 419-6664 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- (850) 724-9379 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.