TV, Internet, Phone Prices Have Spiked in Last 5 Years

And service isn't getting any better
By Michael Harthorne,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 13, 2015 6:40 PM CDT
TV, Internet, Phone Prices Have Spiked in Last 5 Years
The average bill from cable companies is up 35% from 2010.   (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

You probably don't need another reason to hate your cable provider, but here's one anyway: The average customer's bill in 2015 is nearly $42 higher than in 2010, NBC News reports. That's an increase of 35%, according to market research firm SNL Kagan, which says bundling TV, Internet, and phone services might be costing customers even more. People with bundled services are the steadiest customers cable companies have left as more young people decide to cut the cord. It's a fact not lost on the companies themselves. "The quickest way for cable companies to grow their revenue is charge more to the customers they already have," one industry analyst tells NBC. "Ultimately, this may prove counterproductive."

This increase in costs coincides with increasing worries on the part of cable companies, NBC reports. The number of customers getting bundled services dropped for the first time in 2014. And only 47% of adults under 25 have bundled services. Sadly cost increases don't also mean improved services, thanks to cable company monopolies around the country. According to NBC, Internet service is more expensive in the US than Europe while speeds in major American cities lag far behind those in Seoul, Hong Kong, Paris, and more. Just something to remember if the next bill from your cable provider has suddenly climbed north of $160. (More cable TV stories.)

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