Comcast Raises Cable Rates

Dish Network remains a Better Value

Dish Network better value as Comcast Raises Cable Rates. Comcast to raise cable TV rates Internet, phone services won't go up The Atlanta area's biggest cable provider is raising rates on its most popular TV services by 4.7 percent, marking the fourth straight year of increases. Comcast's standard cable service will cost an additional $2.24 per month starting in March, for a new total of $49.99.

Comcast Data Rates

The company won't change rates for high-speed Internet or Comcast Digital Voice phone services. Comcast hasn't raised Internet prices during the last four years, while voice services are relatively new. Cable and satellite companies often cite the rising costs of programming to explain price boosts. Those are a factor this time, but Comcast said the increases also are related to the cost of improved services.

Gene Shatlock, the company's regional senior vice president, noted that Comcast is hiring an additional 550 people to work in the area, whether in call centers or in the field. The next couple of years could prove eventful in the TV business, as cable and satellite providers face the gradual rise of video competition from phone companies. AT&T, which just bought BellSouth, wants to start offering its fledgling U-verse video services in the Southeast. The company hasn't revealed a time frame for a rollout, but lawmakers in Georgia and other states have been considering major changes to video franchise rules to help speed the process.

AT&T is a major proponent of efforts to simplify existing franchising systems, claiming changes will make it easier for the company to launch services to compete with cable. Rep. Jeff Lewis (R-White) filed a cable franchise reform bill Tuesday in the Georgia General Assembly. He hopes that a statewide franchising system, which would largely replace a locally based setup, will lead to more competition.

Price increases, like the one announced by Comcast, have been a factor in arguments for reforms. "Maybe it can help ease situations like this in the future," said Lewis, who noted that the Cable Television Association of Georgia supports the bill. "They see the value in competition."

While AT&T hopes to become a player in video, Comcast and its cable cousins are already established as powerhouses. Philadelphia-based Comcast has about 780,000 customers in the Atlanta region. Shatlock said more than half of the company's local users also subscribe to more than one service. Many people get high-speed Internet from Comcast.

The company also has been heavily promoting a discounted bundle of phone, cable and Internet services. Because of the increase on the cable portion, the average customer's bill will rise 4.2 percent, Shatlock said. A user who buys just expanded basic cable will see a slightly higher boost, at 4.7 percent. Other cable packages will increase as well.

Comcast's Digital Silver offering, for example, is going from $73.99 per month to $77.25 a month, up 4.4 percent. Comcast's basic service will cost a dollar more, or $16.95 per month. Comcast has begun notifying customers about the changes by mail.