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    Suddenlink Changes its Pricing

    11/27/2008 09:27:00 PM

    While we constantly strive to keep our costs low and maintain
    reasonable prices, a number of factors require price
    adjustments on certain services, including the high cost of fuel
    for our vehicles; the rising cost of cable TV programming
    (especially sports programming); the costs incurred to prepare
    for the government-mandated digital broadcast transition; plus
    increases in what we pay for equipment, insurance, and more.
    As a result, starting with your November 2008 bills, high-speed
    Internet service will increase $3.00 per month; and taxes, fees,
    and surcharges will be adjusted to reflect current assessment
    rates.

    Does anyone see something funny about this?

    First of all, the government-mandated digital broadcast transition has little to do with SuddenLink. If I understand the transition correctly, it ONLY effects over the air signals. Cable companies can still broadcast standard definition signals over their lines. If they are picking up the signal for station over the air and then re-broadcasting on their lines it could have a slight effect on them. But this would be VERY minimal.In fact, here is a quote from their web site:

    The digital transition in February 2009 applies only to TV signals that are broadcast and received over the air. In contrast, TV signals that are transmitted over cable lines — namely, the channels on Suddenlink’s basic and expanded basic line ups — will continue to be delivered, from us to you, in a format that works with your current TV sets.

    Rising Costs of cable TV programming, ok fair enough.

    BUT, wait, both of those items are very specifically pointed towards Cable TV, in which I do not have any Cable TV service... The increase is on Cable Internet. Hmm...

     

    I guess the bright side is they informed everyone through a paragraph of text on the October bill... Guess I should read that stuff.

    2 comments

    2 Comments:

    I'm with Suddenlink. By way of response to the points you've raised:

    1. The increases we're seeing in the price of "equipment, insurance, and more" impacts all customers, including Internet-only customers. And part of the "more" is the rising cost of bandwidth, which is directly related to Internet customers.

    2. You're right that the upcoming digital transition covers only broadcast TV station signals, but to make sure we can receive and pass along those signals to customers, we have had to invest in various steps -- e.g., new receivers, new antennae, tower work, etc.

    Thanks for your interest.
    By Blogger Pete Abel, at December 2, 2008 12:48 PM   Being involved with 3 different Suddenlink accounts in 2 States with both residential and business service I have the advantage of seeing how this affects different groups. Just as a matter of reference this is some of the data I have come to find:

    Customers in Oklahoma with Internet only are seeing a $3.00 a month increase. While customers in Texas with Security monitoring and the HD Total Entertainment Package (which includes internet) are seeing a $3.25 a month increase.

    The $3.25 in Texas is broken down to show a $2.25 increase for basic cable and $1.00 for internet.

    In addition to these increases there is an additional increase in February for cable customers in Texas of $1.59 a month for a broadcast station surcharge.
    By Blogger Kellen Butler, at December 24, 2008 1:45 AM   Post a Comment