"It may be the only way to challenge local cable rates."

He also claimed that cable rates have risen nearly 100 percent in the last 10 years.

The new cable rates had clearly wrung profit out of investment.

But they said that even this does not justify a wholesale increase in cable rates.

The Government reduced basic cable rates by 17 percent last year.

Boston is on the warpath when it comes to basic cable rates.

Neither of those address why basic cable rates have gone up.

In 1984 Congress took away nearly all the local governments' authority to regulate cable rates.

If that is the case, the industry will not be as dependent on basic cable rates.

That's why millions of families were shocked this month to find that their cable rates had risen.