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Comcast is back with another rate increase effective April 1st, amounting to 3.5 percent for many cable, broadband, and telephone customers.
Although prices vary depending on your specific service area, the range of the price increase is more consistent.
In southern New Jersey, for example, here is the breakdown — all prices are by the month:
- Expanded/Standard service cable-TV tiers are increasing $2. Expanded service customers could pay up to $50.10, Standard customers $60.55;
- Triple Play customers will see a $5 increase in the second year of their two-year contract from $114.99 to $119.99. First year pricing remains $99 for new customers;
- Digital Premium Packages are increasing $2;
- Economy Broadband (1Mbps) increases $2, Performance (12Mbps) increases $2, Blast! (16Mbps) increases $2, Ultra sees no price increases (but goes away for new customers effective 4/1);
- Comcast phone line prices are also increasing in certain cases;
- Each additional DVR drops by $5 — Verizon FiOS was hammering Comcast about DVR pricing.
There are no rate changes for business service customers or subscribers with “limited basic service.” There is also no change in the company’s broadband usage allowance — 250 GB, the only part of Comcast’s service that seems to stubbornly remain at the same level year after year.
Comcast, the nation’s largest cable operator, blamed the mid-year price increases on increased programming and other business costs.
But the company is not exactly hurting. Comcast’s 4th quarter earnings last year jumped 132 percent to $955 million dollars. Rate increases that are designed to drive consumers into profitable service bundles, combining television, Internet, and telephone service, guarantee even better financial results in 2010.
Verizon is already capitalizing on Comcast’s rates by offering residents in southern New Jersey an even better price for Verizon FiOS — dropping from $109.99 for two years to $89.99, not including taxes and fees. But like Comcast, Verizon wants you take a bundle of services, or else face higher prices. The company recently increased the price for FiOS TV to $64.99 for standalone service.
Other stories of interest:
- ‘Tis The Season for Comcast Rate Hikes: Cable Modem Rental Increases to $5 Per Month
- Time Warner Cable: Powered By Prices Increases – $18 Billion in Revenue for 2009, $19 Billion for 2010
- Happy New Rate Increase: Time Warner Cable Jacks Up Rates Across Upstate New York
- Time Warner Cable Merrily Raising Your Rates This Holiday Season Even While It “Gets Tough” On Costs
- One Year After Imposing 250GB Cap, Comcast Customers Still In The Dark About Their Usage
if anyone ever gets a call from comcast saying they have gone over the cap and if it happens again they will cut you off all you have say is you cut me off i will cut you off cancel comcast services. comcast will backoff so quick they need us more than we need them
Tried it?
Also, will Comcast’s 22/5 tier really be going away on 4/1? If so, what will replace it?
Not sure…. If that is defined as the “Ultra” tier, then it looks like the deadline to sign up is 4/1. All I could find is a graphic from DSL Reports confirming the status of the Ultra tier:
http://www.phillipdampier.com/documents/IMG_0536.JPG