UPC is to increase its charges for the second time in less than 12 months with the latest price hike as much as 10 times the current rate of inflation.
When asked why it was imposing price increases of as much as 14 per cent on some customers from the beginning of March, a spokeswoman claimed it was to cover the cost of rolling out new services.
All told, more than half a million subscribers will be hit by the charge which will take the monthly cost of television, broadband and phone packages to close to €100 a month.
UPC claimed that the purpose of the price increases were “to continue to offer the best value in the market for the services provided.”
A spokeswoman said the average price change would be 4.5 per cent or €3.21 per month but customers outside of certain bundled packages who do not meet certain terms and conditions will be hit with hikes of closer to 14 per cent.
One reader contacted The Irish Times last night to detail the impact the price increases would have on his elderly parents. “Its Digital Value TV Pack goes from €28.50 to €32.50 which is a massive 14 per cent increase The ‘€3.50 self-serve discount’ referred to by UPC is not really a discount at all since it is available only to those customers who register for on line account management. This does not include my parents. Therefore, the increase to them is in fact €4 per month.”
UPC last increased its prices in June 2013.
Existing customers will be offered more value faster broadband speeds - of up to 120Mb - and a free connection to UPC’s Horizon multi-platform service.
SOURCE-IRISH TIMES
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