FCC Consumer Complaints – 19 February 2026

Introduction

The Federal Communications Commission recorded 1104 consumer complaints on Thursday, 19 February 2026 relating to telecommunications services, this was lower than the 1175 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 50 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls recorded a slightly higher number of complaints than other issues.

This date falls within a government shutdown period from 14 February 2026 to 30 April 2026. Complaint volumes during this period may be lower than usual.

Key statistics

Total complaints
1104
States & territories reporting
50
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (505)
Most reported state/territory
California (146)

Where the complaints came from

Across 726 cities in 50 states and territories, a total of 1104 complaints were recorded on 19 February 2026. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.

The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.

State/Territory Complaints
California 146 13.2%
Florida 83 7.5%
Texas 73 6.6%
New York 65 5.9%
Washington 53 4.8%
North Carolina 47 4.3%
Pennsylvania 40 3.6%
Tennessee 35 3.2%
Illinois 34 3.1%
Ohio 34 3.1%
Other states and territories 494 44.7%

What the complaints were about

The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 6 complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 869 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 869 78.7%
Internet 162 14.7%
TV 45 4.1%
Radio 17 1.5%
Accessibility 6 0.5%
Emergency 5 0.5%

Phone complaints

869 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 78.7% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 505 58.1%
Billing 187 21.5%
Availability (including rural call completion) 55 6.3%
Equipment 39 4.5%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 37 4.3%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 15 1.7%
Interference (including signal jammers) 11 1.3%
Privacy 9 1.0%
Junk Faxes 5 0.6%
Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) 5 0.6%

As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided 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

162 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 14.7% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 83 51.2%
Availability 42 25.9%
Equipment 13 8.0%
Speed 10 6.2%
Interference 7 4.3%
Privacy 7 4.3%

Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.

TV complaints

45 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 4.1% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 16 35.6%
Billing 15 33.3%
Indecency 4 8.9%
Interference 4 8.9%
Loud Commercials 3 6.7%
Equipment 2 4.4%
Privacy 1 2.2%

Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.

Unwanted calls

505 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 45.7% of all complaints. Reports referenced both caller ID numbers and business contact numbers, with number tables shown where meaningful patterns are present.

Most reported business contact numbers

Telephone number Complaints Share
(855) 909-0816 9 1.8%
(877) 419-6664 8 1.6%
(833) 588-3805 5 1.0%
(315) 215-8146 4 0.8%
(866) 959-1526 4 0.8%
(866) 878-0301 3 0.6%
(626) 550-4220 2 0.4%
(771) 247-3417 2 0.4%
(800) 241-0172 2 0.4%
(800) 436-5244 2 0.4%

Key patterns

  • Other Services accounted for the largest share of unwanted call complaints by service type.
  • Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
  • (855) 909-0816 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
  • Reports were spread across many different caller ID numbers, with no single number dominating.
Page last updated: 20 February 2026 with FCC complaints data from 19 February 2026.

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.