Comcast plots data caps, price hikes in 2021

Comcast is planning new data caps and video service price increases for its subscribers in 2021.

The company is instituting a 1.2 terabyte data cap for its broadband subscribers and said that even with the limit, customers should be able to stream five hours of 4K video a day without exceeding the cap. For subscribers who exceed the data cap, Comcast will automatically add blocks of 50 GB to their accounts for an additional fee of $10 each. The company said additional monthly charges won’t exceed $100 regardless of how much data is used.

Comcast offers an unlimited data plan for an additional $30 per month.

According to Stop the Cap, the changes go into effect on January 1, 2021 in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Vermont, and West Virginia.

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Comcast revealed some price increases for its video service, on-demand extras and broadband that will also kick in on January 1. A Reddit user pointed out the increases which include a $5/month price hike for Choice TV and a $4.50/month increase in broadcast TV fees.

The broadcast fee increase comes as Comcast is trimming back the number of broadcast stations it offers in some markets. According to TV Answer Man, Comcast customers in 38 markets will lose at least one local broadcast channel as the cable provider cuts back on providing multiple affiliate stations for the same network.

Comcast is also raising the monthly rate for AMC+, which first launched earlier this year on Comcast before expanding to other services and platforms including Dish Network, Sling TV, Amazon, Apple and Roku.

AMC+, which ad-free versions of AMC along with streaming services Shudder, Sundance Now and IFC Films Unlimited, was priced at $4.99 per month to match AMC Premiere, which it replaced. Beginning in 2021, the price will go up to $6.99 per month, which matches what Dish and Sling customers are already paying.