Comcast Bills Increasing for Portsmouth Area

Portsmouth-area Comcast subscribers will see their bills increase starting Jan. 22.

Many of the cable giant's most popular service plans will see prices increases. For example, the "Starter Xfinity Triple Play Bundle"—which includes cable, Internet and phone service—will increase from $136.99 a month to $141.99 a month.

A chart of the increases can be found at right in the "Photos" section.

Comcast serves about 100 New Hampshire communities, which are also seeing rate hikes.

Comcast spokesman Marc Goodman said the company is making investments in "next-generation technology" that will result in faster Internet service, among other improvements.

"We continue making investments in our network and next-generation technology to make enhancements customers want and value, including faster Internet speeds, more multi-platform video, improved customer service and self-help options," Goodman said in an e-mail. "While we've worked hard to hold down price adjustments, the average customer bill will increase by 1.6 percent beginning with the February 2013 billing cycle."

The company's rate hikes come at a time when customers of satellite television providers like DirectTV and Dish Network are also experiencing price increases.