FCC Consumer Complaints – September 2026
Introduction
In September 2026, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 42574 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume increased from 42017 complaints the month before. Complaints were reported across 55 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Unwanted Calls was reported slightly more frequently than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 42574
- Days with complaint data
- 30
- Days with complaints
- 30
- States & territories reporting
- 55
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (14509)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (5326)
Daily complaint activity
Daily complaint activity averaged 1419.1 complaints per day during the month. The busiest day was 29 September 2026, when 1906 complaints were recorded, and 21 days were above the monthly daily average. The lowest daily total was 630 complaints on 6 September 2026, well below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
The 42574 complaints recorded in September 2026 were submitted from 7146 cities across 55 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. Despite the overall distribution, a notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 196 of the 213 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 | 5326 | 12.5% |
| Texas | 3926 | 9.2% |
| Florida | 3619 | 8.5% |
| New York | 2383 | 5.6% |
| Pennsylvania | 1773 | 4.2% |
| Illinois | 1537 | 3.6% |
| Georgia | 1470 | 3.5% |
| Colorado | 1444 | 3.4% |
| North Carolina | 1376 | 3.2% |
| Ohio | 1362 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 18347 | 43.1% |
Location highlight
Washington accounted for nearly all complaints recorded in District of Columbia.
What the complaints were about
A total of 7 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded during the month. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 32676 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 32676 | 76.8% |
| Internet | 7427 | 17.4% |
| TV | 1611 | 3.8% |
| Radio | 456 | 1.1% |
| Emergency | 233 | 0.5% |
| Accessibility | 107 | 0.3% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 64 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
32676 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 76.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 14509 | 44.4% |
| Billing | 9166 | 28.1% |
| Equipment | 2830 | 8.7% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 2345 | 7.2% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 1652 | 5.1% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 1004 | 3.1% |
| Privacy | 432 | 1.3% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 427 | 1.3% |
| Junk Faxes | 114 | 0.3% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 110 | 0.3% |
| Rural Call Completion | 59 | 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. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).
Internet complaints
7427 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 17.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 3609 | 48.6% |
| Availability | 1507 | 20.3% |
| Equipment | 884 | 11.9% |
| Interference | 646 | 8.7% |
| Speed | 538 | 7.2% |
| Privacy | 243 | 3.3% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
1611 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 3.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 483 | 30.0% |
| Indecency | 465 | 28.9% |
| Availability | 201 | 12.5% |
| Loud Commercials | 174 | 10.8% |
| Equipment | 124 | 7.7% |
| Interference | 104 | 6.5% |
| Privacy | 46 | 2.9% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Indecency and Availability.
Radio complaints
456 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 190 | 41.7% |
| Pirate Radio | 126 | 27.6% |
| Indecency | 70 | 15.4% |
| Equipment | 24 | 5.3% |
| Availability | 16 | 3.5% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 12 | 2.6% |
| Billing | 4 | 0.9% |
Interference and Pirate Radio were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Emergency complaints
233 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 103 | 44.2% |
| Other | 52 | 22.3% |
| Phone | 44 | 18.9% |
| Tower | 34 | 14.6% |
Interference and Other were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Accessibility complaints
107 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 29 | 27.1% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 23 | 21.5% |
| Closed Captioning on TV | 22 | 20.6% |
| Video Description | 6 | 5.6% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 4 | 3.7% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 1 | 0.9% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS), Closed Captioning over the Internet and Closed Captioning on TV.
Unwanted calls
A total of 14509 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 34.1% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (512) 768-9859 | 19 | 0.1% |
| (571) 385-2686 | 6 | 0.0% |
| (781) 205-2775 | 6 | 0.0% |
| (877) 556-9255 | 6 | 0.0% |
| (206) 536-3695 | 5 | 0.0% |
| (260) 693-8031 | 4 | 0.0% |
| (469) 813-1140 | 4 | 0.0% |
| (513) 725-4068 | 4 | 0.0% |
| (601) 202-1025 | 4 | 0.0% |
| (785) 367-3683 | 4 | 0.0% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (877) 957-2897 | 63 | 0.4% |
| (830) 431-9830 | 57 | 0.4% |
| (217) 834-9517 | 47 | 0.3% |
| (877) 556-9255 | 46 | 0.3% |
| (775) 438-1723 | 43 | 0.3% |
| (321) 866-1469 | 41 | 0.3% |
| (512) 768-9859 | 34 | 0.2% |
| (855) 580-2692 | 33 | 0.2% |
| (833) 684-5586 | 30 | 0.2% |
| (888) 912-0671 | 29 | 0.2% |
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.
- (877) 957-2897 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- (512) 768-9859 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.