Comcast speed increases have caused the newswires to rattle with talk of a "broadband price war" despite the fact some Comcast customers are now actually paying more. This Associated Press headline proudly proclaims "Competition slashing costs of broadband" - But is it?.

Last week tech journalist Dana Blackenhorn railed against FCC chief Kevin Martin for his self-congratulatory Wall Street Journal editorial (reg. required) on the fine state of the industry.

"The fact, Mr. Martin, is that I am paying $110/month for 1+ Mbps downloads -- that's $50 for DSL and $60 for the phone line. The alternative from cable is equally pricey -- $70/month for the cable and $40/month for the cable modem service."

While he puffs up the numbers for melodrama's sake (or he's the worst comparison shopper alive), his point still hits its mark: that a lumbering duopoly using elaborate pricing schemes are being dressed up as vibrant competition.

Thanks largely to bundling, the broadband industry has become a consumer market where you need a lawyer and scientific calculator to determine if you're actually getting a good deal. Most of these articles on "price wars" simply aren't doing the math or reading the fine print.

The SBC $14.95 DSL deal prompted talk of a price-war with cable. Few mentioned that price didn't include the cost of a mandatory phone line (and associated fees). Fewer still mentioned it was a 12 month, new-customer only on-line promotion. Even SBC investors, concerned they were giving away the store, had to be soothed by SBC chief Ed Whitacre that this was PR aimed at dial-up laggards.

At least the bells have been lowering prices over the past several years. Looking for cable price-cuts in this "price war" outside of promotional deals? There aren't any.

In fact, take a good look at the actual detail surrounding the recent Comcast speed increases. If you don't subscribe to Comcast cable service, you'll pay $57.95 for 4Mbps downstream service. The new 8Mbps tier for those who say - have satellite TV - will cost you $77.95. Comcast actually raised prices for the same speeds in some instances.

In fact, you can expect even higher cable prices once the FCC begins a rewrite of the 1996 Telecom act, and starts forcing the cable industry to contribute evenly to the Universal Service Fund. Price War?