Comcast, Cox, Frontier All Raising Internet Access Rates for 2018

At least three major ISPs have already announced significant price hikes for 2018.  News of the increases come just days after the FCC voted to roll back net neutrality protections.

The timing of this couldn’t be worse.  But maybe that’s not a concern for major ISPs.  Accordingly, at least three major ISPs have now announced rate hikes for 2018.

That is, January, 2018.  So customers have very little time to react, modify their plans, or even cancel their accounts.

Just this morning, Karl Bode of DSLReports caught wind of numerous increases at mega-ISP Comcast.  But that is simply the latest in a string of planned increases by the likes of Cox, Frontier, and even DirecTV and Dish Network.

In all cases, these are increases for essentially the same services, with Bode noting that American will be stuck paying ‘significantly more money for the same service in the new year’.  In many cases, the changes are padded into existing bills, with most consumers failing to see the changes.

In the case of Comcast, increases are happening across the board.

That includes rates for conventional cable TV, but also a range of internet and internet-based services.  “Even Comcast’s streaming TV service Instant TV, barely a year old, is seeing price hikes,” Bode noted.

“Users that subscribe to this service can expect to pay $3 to $3.50 more per month in the new year.”

Additionally, Comcast is jacking up its modem rental fees by 10%.  “Modem rental fees will be bumped $1 to $11 per month, while missed payment fees are also being increased fifty cents to $10,” the report continues.

That’s likely the beginning of far broader increases.

Another major ISP, Cox, is increasing the rates for all of its internet service packages.

Here’s a quick rundown of those increases, based on a notice sent to Cox subscribers.

Starter will change from $34.99 to $36.99.
Essential will change from $52.99 to $55.99.
Preferred will change from $67.99 to $71.99.
Preferred 100 will change from $72.99 to $76.99.
Premier will change from $79.99 to $82.99.

That’s on top of a range of other increases affecting Cox’s cable TV packages, and are effective as of January, 2018.  The rates were officially announced on December 9th, just days before net neutrality provisions were officially scrapped.

Similarly, Frontier Communications is tacking on a sneaky surcharge for internet customers.

Specifically, Frontier is wedging a $2 ‘Internet Infrastructure Surcharge’ onto most accounts.  That includes promotional deals, which are advertised as being cheaper, but leave out a lot of hidden fees.  “Beginning with this bill, customers not on an Internet Service term agreement, price protection plan or subject to other exclusions will be assessed a $1.99 per month Internet Infrastructure surcharge,” a Frontier notice states.

Other shoes dropping soon.

Both DirecTV and Dish are enacting heavy increases for most packages in 2018.  At this stage, we’re not sure if packaged internet deals are getting affected (at least for 2018).  Eventually, we’re betting they will.

We haven’t seen any (recent) changes from Charter, Verizon, and AT&T’s U-verse.  But maybe they’re waiting until after Christmas.