Rick Karlin is reporting for the Times Union as many as 15 percent of Spectrum cable’s internet customers will be hit with a rate increase this spring. Spectrum is phasing out the lower tier of pricing charged by the Time Warner company it acquired four years ago. Spectrum said customers were informed of the increase in February and that it applied to legacy cable packages. But the rate hikes have angered customers and others at a time when businesses are closed and when the unemployment rate continues to rise. “I saw 20 percent and it jumped out at me. What else goes up 20 percent especially at this time,” asked Kyle Hughes of Saratoga Springs. Hughes, who is self-employed, said his basic internet rate went from $49.99 to $59.99 per month. Spectrum spokeswoman Lara Pritchard said about 85 percent of residential customers are seeing no changes. but the discounts offered by Time Warner are now being phased out. As for prices charged, the Public Services Commission last week noted they do not regulate rates since the Federal Communications Commission concluded there are enough options, such as satellite services, to provide competition. Spectrum is now one of the Top 10 cable providers in the nation, with 29 million business and residential customers. Read the full story in the Times Union.