Internet rate hikes: Comcast TV, Spectrum bills rising (again) - USA TODAY

If you’re a Comcast subscriber, it’s not the astir fantastic clip of the year: The cablegram elephantine is raising its rates again.

In a determination subscribers person seen earlier – astir precocious in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 – Comcast’s TV work volition spot large increases successful fine-print fees that it doesn’t advertise, portion the large-print rates for its broadband volition inch up by a smaller amount.

Comcast didn’t supply circumstantial numbers for the TV interest hikes, but writer Phillip Swann, who covers the video concern astatine the TV Answer Man site, reported figures for immoderate markets last week.

For example, helium linked to a transcript of a letter Comcast sent to the Board of Selectmen successful Sandown, N.H., that had the broadcast TV interest going from $24.95 to $27.25 a month, with the determination sports interest inching up from $11.85 to $12.

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Some regions deed harder by TV, net measure inflation

The ostentation was overmuch worse successful different markets, with Taunton, Mass., subscribers seeing their broadcast TV interest rocketing from $18.65 to $26 a month.

Both the broadcast and sports fees bespeak higher prices demanded of TV providers by 2 fashionable categories of channels: section stations and regional sports networks.

“TV networks and different video programmers proceed to rise their prices, with broadcast tv and sports being the biggest drivers of increases successful customers’ bills,” Comcast spokeswoman Jenni Gatta said successful an emailed statement. 

Comcast’s broadband rates are besides expanding by $3 a period connected each velocity tiers for internet-only subscribers, though customers who besides wage for TV won’t spot this bump.

Comcast is besides jacking up its cable-modem rental interest from $14 to $15, a signifier of net ostentation that you tin dodge by buying your ain modem. 

Why is Comcast raising rates connected net broadband, cable?

Moyer’s connection chalked up the broadband complaint hike to the outgo of “investing successful our broadband web to supply the best, astir reliable Internet work successful the country” but did not explicate wherefore this summation didn’t interaction subscribers who wage for broadband arsenic good arsenic TV. 

Comcast main fiscal serviceman Michael Cavanaugh invited different theories on the company’s latest quarterly net call, erstwhile helium said the institution would stress earning much gross per broadband subscriber present that it’s not seeing immense increases successful lawsuit sign-ups. 

Those earnings reported Oct. 27 showed that Comcast’s broadband maturation has stalled out – its residential basal of 29.84 cardinal has hardly budged since the archetypal 4th of its fiscal twelvemonth – portion video subscribers proceed a stampede to the exits that near Comcast with 15.97 cardinal residential TV accounts. 

But this Philadelphia steadfast continues to spot precocious nett margins that it enactment astatine 45.1% aft subtracting assorted expenses. 

AT&T, Charter's Spectrum besides raising rates

Other broadband providers person imposed their ain complaint hikes successful caller months.

Charter – doing concern arsenic Spectrum, it’s the 2nd biggest cablegram relation aft Comcast – ratcheted up broadband plans by $5 a period successful October. And AT&T raised rates by $3 a period successful May. 

Consumers enactment up with complaint hikes

A telecom-industry expert suggested that Comcast would astir apt get distant with complaint increases that don’t leap disconnected the measure excessively obviously. 

“Comcast subscribers whitethorn gripe astir higher bills, but astir volition tolerate them, chalking up higher prices to wide inflation,” wrote Tammy Parker, a main expert astatine the probe firm GlobalData. “It’s important to enactment that autopay often makes customers oblivious to comparatively tiny terms increases.”

Rob Pegoraro is a tech writer based retired of Washington, D.C. To taxable a tech question, email Rob at rob@robpegoraro.com. Follow him connected Twitter at twitter.com/robpegoraro.