You shouldn’t be too surprised by this move because we definitely aren’t. 2017 has been one doozy of a year and Comcast is already planning a rollercoaster ride for 2018.
Stop the Cap, a website that’s dedicated to holding broadband companies accountable, reports that Comcast is increasing the price of its standalone 25Mbps internet package. It’s the minimum internet speed needed to meet the FCC’s definition of broadband. Comcast is increasing the price to $75 a month in some markets already.
This price change only applies to Comcast’s Performance Internet service, which is its standalone internet package. If you’re on Comcast’s Xfinity service (bundles with TV, internet, and phone), there is a different pricing being applied to you. The new $75 price is applied after any promotion period, and is a $10 increase from the $65 price point where this package has been sitting at for most of 2017.
Even though it seems like a $10 increase, there was already a $5 price increase to $70 a month already announced and rolled out a few months ago. So these price increases are slowly coming in strategic time periods because Comcast wants to minimize consumer outrage.
With cord-cutting on the rise and lack of competition in the home broadband market, cable companies are going to rely more and more on home internet for more profits. That’s why we’re seeing a price increase for Comcast’s standalone broadband package. Cable companies again will say that these price increases are due to “ongoing investment in the network,” which usually means that they want to widen their profit margins more.
