Cox raising cable, Internet rates

Cox says it is raising rates for home cable and Internet customers, effective Dec. 8. Basic cable customers will pay $2.58 a month more, while expanded basic customers will have to put up an additional 42 cents, bringing the increase up to $3 a month. Customers who get premium movie channels such as HBO or Showtime, will pay $1 a month more per movie package. Home Internet customers will pay $2 to $3 a month more for service, depending on if they get the starter, value, preferred or premier package. Cox Ultimate Internet subscribers and business customers will not see an increase. Jacqui Vines, senior vice president and general manager for Cox Louisiana, says the price increases are due to higher retransmission fees and programmer fees from channels such as ESPN and Disney. “With these recent changes, most of our video customers will see a rate increase of less than 6%,” Vines says. Cox is adding several high-definition and digital channels and shuffling around its lineup. New HD channels include ESPNews, Investigation Discovery, msnbc, Tennis Channel, Disney XD and BBC America. CSPAN3, The Sportsman Channel and The Word will be added to the lineup. The system is also increasing customer Internet speeds.