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As if on schedule with the FCC doing away with Net Neutrality, RCN is raising the cost of their Internet service.

Check your last bill that arrived this month, if you are a customer of RCN. Supposedly, the increase will affect all RCN customers. RCN is an Internet Service Provider (ISP).

RCN’s notification was on the last page of your December billing, in a smaller font, buried in the part of the bill nobody bothers to read, that the cost of having  access to the web will be going up. Way up!

Not by just a few dollars, but in my case I will see a 60% increase on my next billing cycle in January. Originally, it was a 110% increase, but a more recent letter I received from RCN informed me that the 110% was an error.

I won’t have to pay the $84/mo. for Internet service, as they originally planned. It will only be $67/mo.

I guess that is supposed to make me feel better. Considering I was only paying a total of $40/mo. to RCN, it doesn’t. They don’t realize just how frugal I am.

I got rid of cable TV a decade ago, opting for Over-The-Air digital broadcasts (FREE), that gives me the major networks, PBS, and about 20 other channels. I no longer have a landline, using my cell phone ($25/mo.) for unlimited phone calls and text messages.

It may be due to the fact I don’t “bundle” other offers from RCN, that I’m being hit so hard in the wallet. Neighbors tell me they will see an increase of about $10 for their total bill (they bundle TV, Telephone and Internet).

Their notification gave me a line of crap about how this new pricing will help defray the cost of building a new fiber optic network and the expanding use of broadband by customers.

I don’t need, or use their fiber optic network. They can charge more to those who do. Same for those who use an excessive amount of broadband capacity, downloading the Library of Congress, every movie ever made, and every song recorded.

Luckily, RCN isn’t the only game in town.

I put off switching to Service Electric only because it is a royal pain for me to update every website and online account I have with a new email address, but I’m going to make the switch if RCN doesn’t come back down to a charge equal to Service Electric (currently at $45 for basic Internet service).

Service Electric openly states on their home page that they will not be screwing around with their ISP offering, even though the FCC has provided them the opportunity. They promise not to “throttle down” data streams, or block websites.

RCN makes no such promise.

I’m making the call Tuesday to argue with RCN about their new price. It’s probably going to be “Bye-Bye, RCN.”

UPDATE: 12/26 @ 11:05 AM  Just got off the phone with RCN. The Rep was very courteous and helpful. I made it clear that I didn’t want to change my ISP, but would if a price adjustment wasn’t made. The result was I’m guaranteed my original $39.99/mo. for another year.