Cox Raising Broadband Rates… Again

We’ve always advocated that Cox Communications is the “best of the bad guys.” They are a cable company after all, and life could be worse for those of us in Rhode Island. Comcast (ahem, Xfinity) and Time Warner are always competing in the annual contest to be the most loathed company in America. Cox has pretty reliable service, reasonably fast internet options, and their support isn’t too bad either (especially their business support division).

However, we’re now facing the second rate hike in 2016 for their internet service. Shortly after posting their pricing on their own website, they have taken that page down entirely. It’s easier for them to just let it show up on your bill so you don’t notice and ask pesky questions. So, we’re putting the new pricing here for your review. These rates go into effect as of October 6th.

Package       Download Speed         Current Price         New Price
Starter 5Mbps $37.99 $39.99
Essential 15Mbps $56.99 $62.99
Preferred 50Mbps $72.99 $77.99
Premier 150Mbps $84.99 $87.99

 

The multiple rate hikes are likely in response to a growing population adopting the “cord-cutting” movement to get away from bloated cable TV package prices. Cox, and all cable companies really, have been accustomed to collecting deliciously fat checks for their cable TV subscriptions for decades. With the prevalence of streaming services like Netflix, the cable companies are watching their revenue streams dwindle. In order to maintain their very healthy profits, the revenue has to be generated from somewhere.

Without any viable competition, we expect these price hikes to continue religiously and with more bite.