If you haven’t gotten your cable bill from Cox Communications yet this month, look for the next one to be higher.

Local cable television provider and high-speed Internet provider Cox Communications has implemented its latest round of rate increases beginning March 16. Most Cox customers will see their bill rise by $3. The increase affects customers in Cox’s Acadiana market, which includes Iberia, St. Martin and St. Mary parishes.

Cox spokeswoman Sharon Kleinpeter said rising programming costs is the main reason for the increase.

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“Ultimately, the cost of business has gone up, so we’ve passed some of those costs along to our customers,” Kleinpeter said. “We try to hold off (on rate increases) as long as we can, but our vendors don’t hold off on us.”

The cost of expanded cable will increase by $3 from $46.99 to $49.99 a month. In addition, digital cable customers will pay an extra $1 for their service. The cost of basic cable will remain at $12.97 a month.

Internet service also will be more expensive, by anywhere from 4 cents to $3.04, depending on connection speed.

Kleinpeter said Cox doubled its discount for low-income senior citizens who subscribe to basic service. The discount will go from 10 percent to 20 percent, making the service cheaper.

Cox also is adding nine new HD channels in April, including the NFL Network HD, Versus/Golf HD, The Learning Channel HD, Travel Channel HD, History HD, Animal Planet HD, The Weather Channel HD, Cox Sports Television HD and Science Channel HD.

Those channels will be available to customers with digital cable service and high definition televisions.

The non-profit group TV4US criticized the increase in a statement issued this week.

The group says Cox increased rates by 67 percent in the Acadiana area since 2000.

“This increase comes as consumers are already hurting from higher gasoline prices, higher health care costs and an unstable housing market,” said TV4US executive director Lizanne Sadlier.

“Unfortunately, without real competition, Cox and other cable companies can charge whatever they want because most Louisiana consumers have no other choice for their video service.”

Kleinpeter said the rate increases are the first for Cox since August 2006.

At that time, the company blamed the rate increase on higher costs for fuel, programming and insurance, as well as damage caused by hurricanes Katrina and Rita.