Comcast raises rates nearly 5% in Oregon, Washington

Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA) has raised the monthly subscription fees it charges for video programming in Oregon and southwest Washington by 4.8 percent, or $3 per month. The rate hike brings the fee for its standard programming package to $66 in those states.

The MSO is also charging and extra $2 to $4 monthly for the high-speed Internet services that it markets on Oregon, depending on the tier subscribers choose. The monthly fee for its "Performance" cable modem service, which offers speeds of 15 Mpbs, jumps from $45 to $49.

Comcast competes with Frontier Communications (NYSE: FTR) in parts of Oregon and Washington, in addition to satellite TV providers DirecTV (Nasdaq: DTV) and Dish Network (Nasdaq: DISH). But Frontier is looking to exit the cable business, and discouraging consumers from signing up for FiOS TV service by raising its installation fee to $500.

Comcast said its cable systems raise rates at different times of the year based on factors such as the number of new products that are available and increased expenses. Pay TV providers often attribute increases in subscription fees to increased costs to cover programming from major networks such as ESPN.

For more:
- The Oregonian has this story

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