FCC Consumer Complaints – August 2026
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 42017 consumer complaints in August 2026 relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 44786 complaints recorded the previous month. The complaints came from 56 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Unwanted Calls recorded a slightly higher number of complaints than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 42017
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 56
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (13967)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (4773)
Daily complaint activity
Daily complaint activity averaged 1355.4 complaints per day during the month. The busiest day was 21 August 2026, when 2587 complaints were recorded, and 21 days were above the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 1 August 2026, with 560 complaints, noticeably below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
In August 2026, the 42017 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 7067 cities across 56 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 276 of the 296 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 | 4773 | 11.4% |
| Texas | 3662 | 8.7% |
| Florida | 3523 | 8.4% |
| New York | 2160 | 5.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 1937 | 4.6% |
| North Carolina | 1656 | 3.9% |
| Georgia | 1529 | 3.6% |
| Illinois | 1525 | 3.6% |
| New Jersey | 1414 | 3.4% |
| Ohio | 1351 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 18477 | 44.0% |
Location highlight
Washington accounted for nearly all complaints recorded in District of Columbia.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the month were spread across 7 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 32423 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 32423 | 77.2% |
| Internet | 7582 | 18.0% |
| TV | 1233 | 2.9% |
| Radio | 406 | 1.0% |
| Emergency | 244 | 0.6% |
| Accessibility | 94 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 35 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
32423 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 77.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 13967 | 43.1% |
| Billing | 9020 | 27.8% |
| Equipment | 2799 | 8.6% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 2706 | 8.3% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 1645 | 5.1% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 1032 | 3.2% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 491 | 1.5% |
| Privacy | 446 | 1.4% |
| Junk Faxes | 126 | 0.4% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 112 | 0.3% |
| Rural Call Completion | 58 | 0.2% |
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, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion) among the most common.
Internet complaints
7582 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 18.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 3362 | 44.3% |
| Availability | 1590 | 21.0% |
| Equipment | 893 | 11.8% |
| Interference | 757 | 10.0% |
| Speed | 667 | 8.8% |
| Privacy | 312 | 4.1% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
1233 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 2.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 458 | 37.1% |
| Loud Commercials | 189 | 15.3% |
| Availability | 175 | 14.2% |
| Indecency | 138 | 11.2% |
| Equipment | 128 | 10.4% |
| Interference | 80 | 6.5% |
| Privacy | 54 | 4.4% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Loud Commercials and Availability among the most common.
Radio complaints
406 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 182 | 44.8% |
| Pirate Radio | 113 | 27.8% |
| Indecency | 51 | 12.6% |
| Equipment | 27 | 6.7% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 13 | 3.2% |
| Availability | 10 | 2.5% |
| Billing | 7 | 1.7% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Interference and Pirate Radio, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Emergency complaints
244 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 127 | 52.0% |
| Other | 59 | 24.2% |
| Phone | 38 | 15.6% |
| Tower | 20 | 8.2% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Interference and Other, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Accessibility complaints
94 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 29 | 30.9% |
| Closed Captioning on TV | 24 | 25.5% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 15 | 16.0% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 5 | 5.3% |
| Video Description | 4 | 4.3% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 3 | 3.2% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS), Closed Captioning on TV and Closed Captioning over the Internet among the most common.
Unwanted calls
A total of 13967 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 33.2% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (586) 281-9344 | 6 | 0.0% |
| (800) 935-6199 | 6 | 0.0% |
| (888) 266-2278 | 6 | 0.0% |
| (208) 416-2988 | 5 | 0.0% |
| (601) 202-1025 | 5 | 0.0% |
| (864) 642-4641 | 5 | 0.0% |
| (369) 216-6437 | 4 | 0.0% |
| (586) 371-7140 | 4 | 0.0% |
| (214) 382-4871 | 3 | 0.0% |
| (227) 288-9688 | 3 | 0.0% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (369) 216-6437 | 285 | 2.0% |
| (217) 394-8983 | 89 | 0.6% |
| (321) 395-8702 | 75 | 0.5% |
| (775) 438-1723 | 43 | 0.3% |
| (877) 556-9255 | 40 | 0.3% |
| (309) 301-1881 | 25 | 0.2% |
| (855) 580-2742 | 20 | 0.1% |
| (866) 771-4592 | 20 | 0.1% |
| (844) 515-1297 | 19 | 0.1% |
| (775) 438-1770 | 17 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- Other Services was reported slightly more often than other service types.
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (369) 216-6437 stood out as the most frequently reported business contact number.
- Several caller ID numbers were reported multiple times, with no single number clearly ahead of the others.
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.