Astound increases fees $18.50+

Customers of Astound Broadband will see price increases of up to $22.44 starting Sept. 28, the company notified the Town of La Conner by email Aug. 25. Fees for services will increase by at least $17.50, with an additional $1 monthly for telephone service. Expanded content customers will also be charged $1.92 monthly to offset the cost of programming content.

The letter states the company must adjust pricing “as the amounts programming networks charge us continue to rise, along with overall cost increases.”

The fee increases are:

$2 for local broadcast tier.

$3.72 for local TV stations’ fee.

$1.92 for expanded content programming tier.

$3 for TV equipment.

$2 for modems and/or routers

for internet service.

$3 for whole-home WiFi.

$2.80 for the network access

and maintenance fee/internet infrastructure fee.

Customers pay for either WiFi or the router.

The letter states the company must adjust pricing “as the amounts programming networks charge us continue to rise, along with overall cost increases.”

The increases are not government mandated nor a tax, Astound notes in its letter.

Customers will save $2 by making payments over Astound’s website, a $1 fee. Payments will cost $3 made through “agents” – phone calls – and will be $2.95 when paid by phone or text.

La Conner was notified because it regulates communications services Administrator Scott Thomas said.