Cox raises broadband rates for second time in a year

Cox Communications has again this year raised its broadband rates for customers, citing "product and technology investments and increases in business costs" as the reason for the increase.

DSL Reports forum users posted the text from an email Cox is sending out to its customers, alerting them that the new rates will go into effect on Oct. 6. Specifically, Cox’s Starter tier will change from $37.99 to $39.99, Essential from $56.99 to $62.99, Preferred from $72.99 to $77.99 and Premier from $84.99 to $87.99.

Those increases come after Cox in January raised its broadband service rates.

The new rates now appear on the Cox's website and the company confirmed the increase in a statement provided to FierceCable.

"This increase affects the small percentage of customers who only subscribe to Cox High Speed Internet. The majority of our customers subscribe to more than one service allowing them to realize more value and savings. Cox is continuously improving its network to maintain superior high speed Internet service, increasing speeds more than 1,000 percent on its most popular packages over the past 15 years. CHSI continues to offer customers more value for their money every year, including bringing all Ultimate package customers to 300 Mbps and continuing to launch gigabit speeds in most its markets," Cox said in a statement.

The newly increased broadband rates at Cox come as ISPs like Mediacom battle against assertions that usage based pricing and data caps should not be allowed. In a recent letter to the FCC, Mediacom specifically called out the hypocrisy of web companies like Netflix and Google charging different rates for varying access content while simultaneously criticizing ISPs for charging overage fees to the heaviest users on their networks.

In addition to raising broadband rates, MSOs like Cox and others have steadily increased the rates charged for pay-TV service. But, as new Leichtman Group research showed, pay-TV bills have slowed their growth a bit.

According to the firm, the average monthly pay-TV bill rose 4 percent annually in 2015, which represents the smallest year-over-year increase in five years.

For more:
- see this DSL Reports article

Related articles:
Average monthly pay-TV bill up 4% year-over-year, lowest increase in five years, Leichtman says

This article has been updated to include a statement from Cox Communications.