Staying connected has just become more expensive – at least for Comcast Business Class Internet customers. The largest cable operator in the U.S. has quietly added an equipment fee to its high-speed Business Class Internet service. The additional $7 fee (plus taxes) was implemented in December 2011 and will appear on new invoices to cover the “wear and tear” of modems, according to a Comcast customer service representative. The new fee will be charged regardless of age of the modem, so even customers that did not see any equipment fees in the past will notice a substantial price hike.

"At Comcast, we strive to minimize passing expenses on to our customers. However, from time to time it is necessary to increase certain fees in order to keep pace with the costs of running our business," Comcast says on its website here. "In the last several years, we have made significant upgrades to our network, customer equipment and software in order to provide a fast and reliable experience for our Business Class customers."

Comcast is the largest home Internet service provider in the United States. It also offers cable television and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers. In January 2011, the Philadelphia based company acquired a majority stake in media conglomerate NBC Universal, after seeing revenue increases of 51% to $14.3 billion, from $9.53 billion. Comcast has significant holding in several cable networks, including E! Entertainment Television, G4, Style Network, and The Golf Channel. The company is active in 39 states and the District of Columbia.

We are calling on Comcast to drop their new "equipment rental" fee, which essentially increases the costs for internet services by upto 12% over previous month's charges.

We're trying to collect 100,000 signatures, and we could really use your help.
 
It'll just take a minute!

Once you're done, please ask your friends to sign the petition as well. Grassroots movements succeed because people like you are willing to spread the word!

To read more about what we're trying to do and to participate in the conversation against Comcast's corporate greed, please visit our FaceBook page at: https://www.facebook.com/ComcastPetition