Comcast’s Cable Rate Hikes Continue Unabated Posted by Bob at 12/01/06 12:14 PM

First the bad news.

It appears the country’s largest cable television company, Comcast, will be raising its rates by an average of 5.4 percent in the coming year.

Investment company Bernstein Research got that figure by adding up the rate increases announced by Comcast in its markets for analog cable television service to date.

Now the only slightly less bad news.

That is a little less than the 6.5 percent increase in cable rates by all companies that took place this year, according to Bernstein. And its less than the 7.6 percent increase Verizon has told it customers to expect for it FiOS cable television service at the beginning of the year.

While none of this is good news for consumers, Bernstein says it is great for investors in Comcast.

Bernstein called the planned increases “sizable,” noting it had only been projecting Comcast would raise its rates 3.7 percent. It was also affirmation that “competitive intensity in the pay TV market remains restrained,” according to Bernstein.

Indeed.

comments (7)

1 Posted by Gritsforbreakfast at 12/03/06 12:48 PM

Thanks for tracking this - we pay $154 for cable now, including online broadband services. The prices go up every year, and it feels like we have no other choice.

It's sad we have to go to the blogs to see this - this information ought to be on the front page of the newspapers.

2 Posted by Dan G. at 12/04/06 02:37 PM

Apparently I was offered a "special" when I signed on with Comcast, switching over from the Dish Network. My bill was $40 a month for 16 months. Now they have just advised me that it will be $80 a month!! I wasn't aware of this being a "special" that would double once the term was over. So I fell for the old bait and switch........hook, line and sinker.

3 Posted by Mark G. at 12/09/06 10:36 AM

I have been slowly divesting myself from Comcast. I remember when Comcast acquired ATT Cable -- the ads stated "We Want to be your cable company -- best in service ..." Comcast is the poster child for bad service. I started off paying $100/mo for cable, Internet and phone and a couple of years into the merger my bill was $200 and was highly dissatisfied with the service. I am now concerned about the Net Neutrality bill -- we cannot afford to give companies like Comcast the ability to affect Quality of Service of non-comcast services. If we think we don't have choices now -- if this bill is passed -- Comcast will be right there and better get out your wallet and get out your ATM card too.

4 Posted by Gary Kleiman at 12/09/06 11:00 AM

I've had a problem with Comcast for many years. We are paying far more per channel received than anyone else I know in any other part of the country.

Not long ago we were paying about $22. per month for about 45 channels of which maybe 10 were worth watching.

Now we are paying well over $50. per month for about 65 channels of which about 10 are worth watching. We should only have to pay for the channels we want to watch since most of them are garbage and homeshopping networks anyway.

We are paying nearly $1.00 per channel per month. That's a rip-off. If we could only pay for the 10 we actually watch our bill would be under $10.00 per month.

5 Posted by anzley at 02/04/07 09:30 PM

I had dish network also and I switched to comcast because they were running the 39.99 for dig. and 39.99 for broadband. So when they came to hook it up 2 days early which was good but not the time in which we were expecting them they tried to charge me 189.99 I already had a check made out of the 89 that is what the rep stated on the phone. Well after calling and believing we had it cleared up I received my first bill which was 220 100 dep 20 for hook-up and the rest mtly charges. Well I called again and the Rep stated that they did a credit check and we needed a dep of 100.00 I never was asked permission about a credit check I had been a previous customer and never needed a dep. Then they stated since we were return customers we were not elligiable for the 39.99. Well I made a complaint with the BBB and much to my surprise discovered in 18 mts they had more then 30 complaints. Then after a week or so I received an email from a manager apolozing for the misunderstanding and that I would receive a discount on my bill.

Last week I went to the comcast site to pay my bill on-line through their pay service this was on the 18-1 I hadnt noticed the bill taken from my acct. Little did I know they mispelled my name and my bank returned the check unpaid and now i have a nsf fee.

6 Posted by askin at 04/24/07 07:22 PM

I recently moved to another state and signed up for dvr cable service as well as fast internet service with comcast. I have had the worst experience with them as far as companies are concerned. Cable guys came by my house twice and the couldnt fix the problem. I was on the phone for several hours and i was very irritated. one of the customer agents also hung up on me when she found out she couldnt help me.Most of these guys were clueless. I subsequently signed up with att and bell south and had a very good experience with them. their customer service agents are very pleasant and caring and well trained unlike comcasts customer agents.

7 Posted by Tracy Stewart at 09/20/07 07:52 AM

I just talked to a Comcast representative who told me as of January 1st everyone who watches TV will be required to pay. That means people who have been using an antenna for years will no longer have access to basic 1-20 channels. They are taking over the market and charging more and more. Something needs to be done. I started with a $30 bill now it is $115 after only 3 years!