The Globe and Mail reports in its Saturday edition that telecom prices in Eastern Canada are on the rise again, apparently because of a consumer shift from TV to Internet. The Globe's Christine Dobby writes that both companies recently notified subscribers about imminent price hikes; BCE's Bell Canada is set to charge Internet customers in Ontario $5 more a month and increase the price for Quebec subscribers by $3, while Rogers is hiking its prices by $8 a month for customers on higher-speed plans and by $4 for those with slower download speeds. Price increases are a regular occurrence in the telco industry, although the exact timing and rollout can vary from year to year. "This was likely due to the Internet being increasingly seen as a necessity for a large portion of the population," according to Desjardins Securities analyst Maher Yaghi. "We also believe this is a symptom of TV's diminished attractiveness to consumers." Kaan Yigit, president of Solutions Research Group Consultants, agrees. "The consumer will grumble, but will continue to subscribe of course, as they value Internet greatly," Mr. Yigit said. The risk to telcos is that they may opt for smaller TV packages or cut service altogether.