Philadelphia – Comcast Corp. is raising the rate on its most popular cable package by an average of 6 percent next year in all markets, the most aggressive hike among the nation’s largest cable operators.
The cost for Comcast’s expanded basic package will rise to an average of about $47.70 as early as Jan. 1, the company confirmed Thursday. Nearly all the company’s 21.4 million cable subscribers nationwide will see an increase, since the expanded basic plan is the building block upon which digital services are added.
Comcast Colorado spokeswoman Cindy Parsons said, “We have not announced any price adjustments at this time in Colorado.”
Comcast has 700,000 subscribers in the state.
In March, Comcast raised rates in Colorado by an average of 4 percent. In 2004, the company raised rates by an average of 6.6 percent.
Time Warner Cable, the nation’s second-largest cable operator, is raising rates by an average of 3.1 percent on its expanded basic package and 1.9 percent on its limited basic plan. Time Warner Cable, owned by New York-based Time Warner Inc., serves nearly 11 million subscribers in 27 states.
Cox Communications, which has 6.2 million customers in 15 states, said while rates are set by local offices, they will likely go up in several markets in 2006. Cablevision will raise cable rates by an average of 2.3 percent in 2006.
“It’s not surprising that the price of things (goes) up. What we’ve seen is that not only Comcast but other cable operators have been increasing prices far ahead of the normal cost of inflation,” said Beth McConnell, director of the Pennsylvania Public Interest Research Group, a consumer-advocacy group in Philadelphia.
Douglas County-based EchoStar Communications Corp. and DirecTV raised rates 4 percent for basic satellite-TV service. EchoStar said it was the company’s first rate increase in two years. Company spokesman Marc Lumpkin said there are no plans to raise rates in 2006.
Staff writer Kimberly S. Johnson contributed to this report.
