It's too difficult to hear that time and time again. It's the same tired excuse. But even customers in Wyandotte, the only municipally owned system in Metro Detroit, saw rates rise 17 percent, The News found. Those factors help explain the often frustrating reality that neighboring communities can have different cable costs for similar service. In addition, the more channels a subscriber receives, the higher the bill.
Costs can also vary depending on how many people subscribe in a community.
The city of Detroit, for instance, has a cable penetration rate of roughly one-third. Now they're pushing for cable in my computer. But I told them I know how expensive Comcast is, or can be. I can't give serious consideration to hooking up my computer with prices rising like this. DirecTV is now a major competitor for TV entertainment dollars, according to industry analysts.