Comcast raises TV and internet prices, including sharp hike in hidden tariffs

Comcast Xfinity cable TV installation truck parked on a street outside a suburban home, San Ramon, CA, May 17, 2018 (Photo by Smith Collection / Gado / Getty Images)
Enlarge / Comcast Xfinity cable TV installation truck parked on a street outside a suburban home, San Ramon, CA, May 17, 2018 (Photo by Smith Collection / Gado / Getty Images)

Getty Images | Smith Collection | Gado

Comcast will increase prices for cable TV and internet service on January 1, 2021, with price increases occurring in both standard monthly rates and hidden rates that are not included in advertised prices.

TV customers get a particularly rude deal, as Comcast adds up to $ 4.50 per month to the TV broadcast rate and $ 2 to the Regional Sports Network (RSN) rate. This represents an increase of up to $ 78 per year just from two rates that are not included in the advertised rates.

As in previous years, even customers who still have promotional prices will not be spared by the rate increases from Broadcast TV and RSN. “Customers with promotional prices will not see this price change until the promotion ends, but RSN and Broadcast TV’s prices will increase because they are not part of the promotional price,” a Comcast spokesperson said. in Ars.

Without the next increase, the TV broadcast rate currently ranges from $ 7.90 to $ 14.95 depending on the market, the spokesperson said. RSN’s rate caps at $ 8.75 per month across most of Comcast’s territory, but Comcast said that rate was $ 14.45 for Chicago-area customers with access to the Marquee Sports Network, owned by Sinclair, which broadcasts Chicago Cubs games. RSN fees are not charged in some markets that do not have an RSN.

Six Internet plans that cost between $ 53 and $ 113 per month will all increase by $ 3 per month, and the price of business facilities or home service visits will drop from $ 70 to $ 100. Comcast revealed price increases in a realize

which was shared on Reddit:

List of Comcast price increases effective in Chicago on January 1, 2021.

List of Comcast price increases effective in Chicago on January 1, 2021.

Although the above price increase notice is only for Chicago, a Comcast spokesperson confirmed to Ars that the price increases will be nationwide. Chicago’s price change list does not include the Regional Sports Network fare “as their RSN fare increased on October 1, 2020 with the addition of Marquee Sports Network.” RSN fees will increase by $ 2 in all other markets starting Jan. 1, 2021, ”Comcast told Ars.

“Other changes for 2021 include an increase in the TV transmission rate up to $ 4.50 depending on the market; an increase of $ 3 for Internet service only; and an increase of up to $ 2.50 for televisions at main point of sale, with a decrease of up to $ 2.45 for televisions at additional outlets, ”added the Comcast spokesperson. . The charge for a customer’s primary TV box increases from $ 5 to $ 7.50, while the charge for additional boxes decreases from $ 9.95 to $ 7.50.

Although the Chicago price list shows the base price of the Choice TV package to drop from $ 25 to $ 30 per month, it’s unclear which TV packages will get a price increase in other areas. Comcast told us that changes to base TV prices will vary by market.

Comcast charges a monthly fee of $ 30 to switch from the 1.2TB plan to unlimited data, or $ 25 per month for customers who purchase xFi Complete, which includes unlimited data and a router / modem rental. from Comcast Gateway. The xFi Complete fees are only $ 20 in some markets, but Comcast told Ars that it is increasing the price in those markets to $ 25 to match what is being charged in the rest of the country.

Comcast blames programmers

Comcast defended the price increases with this statement:

Rising programming costs, particularly for television broadcasting and sports, continue to be the primary price driver for all content distributors and their customers, not just Comcast. We continue to work hard to manage these costs for our customers while investing in our network to provide the best and most reliable broadband service in the country and the flexibility to choose our industry leading video platform with X1 or a highest quality streaming product. with Flex, the only free voice remote TV streaming device included with your broadband service.

But Comcast can’t just blame other programmers for the price increases, as Comcast owns NBCUniversal and therefore sets the price for all content on NBCUniversal, including national channels and eight RSN in the main markets. Although Comcast owns NBC, the cable company informed customers they could lose NBC channels if Comcast can’t find a new trucking deal with… NBC. The absurd situation was summed up by TechDirt in an article correctly titled, “Comcast tells its customers they risk losing access to Comcast channels if Comcast does not agree with Comcast.”

On the broadband side, Comcast appears to justify the price increases based on the company’s investment in improving its network. But Comcast cut investments in its cable division in 2019 and Reduction in cable division capital expenditure again

in the first nine months of 2020.

As we reported on Monday, Comcast will also enforce the 1.2TB monthly data limit in its 39-state territory in 2021. Currently, Comcast is enforcing the cap in 27 states.

Comcast is the largest cable operator and broadband provider in the United States, followed by Charter, which has also increased its prices steadily. The companies are not in competition with each other, and each has a virtual monopoly on high-speed cable broadband in much of the US Charter increasing prices for its Spectrum service in December. Charter does not have the right to impose data caps until May 2023 due to a merger condition, but has asked the Federal Communications Commission to remove the data cap ban in May 2021.

Disclosure: Advance / Newhouse Partnership, which owns 13% of Charter, is part of Advance Publications. Advance Publications owns Condé Nast, which owns Ars Technica.

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