Sky Broadband Review: A Comprehensive Evaluation of its Value

1. Introduction to Sky Broadband

Sky, a company owned by Comcast, has established itself as the UK’s foremost pay TV provider, boasting more than 10 million subscribers who enjoy the company’s coverage of top entertainment, sports and movies through Sky Q box satellite service, Sky Stream, and Sky Glass. Furthermore, with over 6 million customers, Sky is the second-largest provider of phone and broadband services in the UK, and many customers are benefiting from taking Sky TV and broadband together to generate maximum savings. In this review, we will take a closer look at Sky’s broadband products, evaluate their performance and reputation in the telecommunications market (which includes around 500,000 Sky Mobile customers), and provide guidance on whether a Sky Broadband package, with or without Sky TV and Sky Mobile, is suitable for you. You may also begin your order on this page if you are prepared to proceed.

2. Sky Broadband: In Brief

 

• • Sky is one of the largest pay-TV providers in the UK, with over 10 million subscribers. It is also the second-largest broadband and phone supplier, with more than 6 million customers. The company offers a range of broadband products, including Broadband Essential Plus with an average speed of 11Mbps, Broadband Superfast Fibre with speeds of 36Mbps and 59Mbps, and Broadband Ultrafast with an average speed of 145Mbps. Sky Full Fibre Broadband, also known as Sky Broadband Ultrafast and Sky Broadband Gigafast, offers average gigabit speeds of up to 900Mbps, and prices start from £35 per month for Sky Broadband Ultrafast 145Mbps.

• • Sky’s Ultrafast Plus 500Mbps service is priced at £44.50 a month and offers the fastest speed guarantee of 400Mbps, which means customers can claim a month’s subscription back if their speed falls below the minimum guaranteed speed. The company uses Openreach Fibre-To-The-Premise (FTTP) network for its Sky Full Fibre Broadband, which currently covers around 9.6 million UK homes, with coverage planned to reach 25 million UK homes by 2026.

• • The prices of Sky Broadband packages start at £25p/m for Broadband Superfast 35 and go up to £54.50p/m for Broadband Gigafast. Additionally, Sky TV and Broadband packages are available from £31p/m for Broadband Superfast 35 and Sky Q TV Lite, £43p/m for Broadband Superfast, Sky Stream, Sky TV, and Netflix, and from £31p/m for Broadband Superfast, Sky Glass, and Netflix. The company also offers limited-time deals on a free McAfee Internet Security trial and a new Sky Hub wireless router.

• • Sky Broadband products come with a Wall-to-Wall Sky Wi-Fi Guarantee that offers guaranteed Wi-Fi in every room or your money back. Customers can also add Sky Broadband Boost for an extra £3 per month, which includes daily line checks for faults, premium engineer visits on evenings and weekends, and Wi-Fi boosters if required.

• • According to the latest Ofcom Telecoms and Pay TV Complaints Report, Sky Broadband recorded the lowest number of complaints in the industry at four complaints per 100,000 customers in Q3 2022. In addition, Sky’s Broadband customer satisfaction rate in 2021 was 84%, which is slightly better than the industry average of 83%.

• • Sky makes ordering and switching broadband packages easy for customers. They can place their orders online, and the Sky Switch Squad will handle the switch-over process, including liaising with their current supplier, and keep them regularly updated. Customers who switch from Virgin Media to Sky need to cancel their service with Virgin Media and choose a cancellation date close to their Sky service activation.

3. Sky Broadband Speed Performance

The Sky Broadband Superfast package offers an advertised speed of 59Mbps, which at least 50% of its customers receive during peak hours. However, this speed is slightly lower than the average superfast fibre speeds of other major broadband suppliers. The Ofcom UK Home Broadband Performance Chart Data shows that the average Sky Broadband speeds are comparable to their real-world speeds. For example, the Sky Superfast 59Mbps FTTC Fibre package had an average 24-hour download speed of 64.3Mbps, while Sky’s full fibre Ultrafast 150Mbps package had an average 24-hour download speed of 150.2Mbps.

It’s important to note that the speeds you receive may be affected by factors such as the number of devices and home technology connected to your Wi-Fi. Therefore, it’s recommended to select a Sky Broadband package that can handle all the devices you plan to connect. During the online ordering process, Sky provides an estimate of the download speed you can expect, based on your location and package selection.

4. Sky Broadband Prices

Sky is currently offering a sale on its Broadband Superfast service, which provides an average speed of 59Mbps, making it ideal for busy households where movie streaming and gaming are common activities. For 18 months, the service is priced at just £30.50 per month and includes phone line rental as well as pay-as-you-go calls. Additionally, the one-time £9.95 setup fee that covers packing and postage of the Sky Hub wireless router has been waived. This is an excellent opportunity for customers to enjoy fast, reliable broadband at an affordable price.

Provider	Product Details	Average Speed	Download Limit	Contract Period	Costs	More Info
Sky	Unlimited Broadband Superfast 35	36Mb	Unlimited	18 months	Monthly cost £25.00*	Includes Wall To Wall Sky Wi-Fi Guarantee Or Money Back; No Setup Fee
Sky	Unlimited Broadband Superfast	59Mb	Unlimited	18 months	Monthly cost £30.50*	Includes Wall To Wall Sky Wi-Fi Guarantee Or Money Back; No Setup Fee
Sky	Unlimited Broadband Ultrafast	145Mb	Unlimited	18 months	Monthly cost £35.00*	Includes Wall To Wall Sky Wi-Fi Guarantee Or Money Back; No Setup Fee; Limited availability – Check your area at Sky
Sky	Unlimited Broadband Ultrafast Plus	500Mb	Unlimited	18 months	Monthly cost £44.50*	Includes UK’s Fastest Speed Guarantee On A 500Mbps Package Or Money Back; No Setup Fee; Limited availability – Check your area at Sky; Includes Wall To Wall Sky Wi-Fi Guarantee Or Money Back
Sky	Unlimited Broadband Gigafast	900Mb	Unlimited	18 months	Monthly cost £54.50*	25 Times Faster Than Standard Sky Fibre Broadband; No Setup Fee; Limited availability – Check your area at Sky; Includes Wall To Wall Sky Wi-Fi Guarantee Or Money Back

5. Sky TV Review Including Sky Q, Sky Glass & Sky Stream

Sky offers a comprehensive range of entertainment options with Sky TV, available on the Sky Q box satellite service, Sky Glass, and Sky Stream. With over 2,500 series, 43,000 episodes, and 27,000 hours of TV drama, documentaries, and entertainment, Sky TV has everything for the whole family. The Sky Q box has won the ‘Product Of The Year’ award and has 1TB of storage, which can record up to 500 hours of shows. With Multiscreen, Sky Q Mini boxes, you can watch content from your Sky Q box on other TVs and tablets around your home.

What is Sky Glass and Sky Stream?

Sky Glass is the latest addition from Sky and features voice-controlled streaming TV with Sky TV content inside, allowing you to stream every channel, show, or app over Wi-Fi with no satellite dish or TV box required. Prices start from £14 per month for the Sky Glass 4K TV, Sky TV, and Netflix. Additionally, Sky Stream is a new and innovative way to watch Sky TV, where you can watch all your favorite Sky TV shows with no satellite dish. Sky Stream uses the same interface as Sky Glass, and prices start from £26 per month for Sky Stream, Sky TV, and Netflix on an 18-month contract. With Sky Broadband, speeds of up to 59Mbps are available, and you can add it to Sky Glass or Sky Stream for an additional £17 per month with no setup fee.

 6. Sky Broadband & TV Product Details With Router Information

Sky Broadband Superfast

 

• • Fibre broadband with average download speeds of 59Mb

• • Unlimited monthly download usage allowance

• • Sky Broadband Hub wireless router

• • FREE Sky Broadband Shield internet protection

• • Sky Wi-Fi Hotspots access

• • 24/7 technical support

• • Add Sky Broadband Boost for £5/month

Sky Talk

 

• • Pay as you go calls to UK landlines and mobiles

• • Sky phone line rental

Sky TV & Box Sets

 

• • Over 40 digital TV channels including Sky Documentaries, Sky Nature, Sky One, Sky Living, FOX and Sky Atlantic

• • More than 240 free-to-air channels

• • 500 Sky Box Sets

• • FREE Sky Q box with up to 500 hours of recording and storage

• • Watch on Sky Go, available wherever you have 3G/4G/5G or Wi-Fi

• • Record remotely from selected mobile devices with the Sky+ app

• Customizable TV package by adding chargeable extras like Netflix, Sky Cinema, including Paramount+, Disney+, Sky Sports & BT Sport

7. Sky Broadband Customer Service Performance, Satisfaction and Support

Sky provides various customer support options to assist with any inquiries regarding Sky TV, Sky Broadband, and Sky Talk. The Sky Helpline is open Monday to Sunday from 8.30 am to 11.30 pm, and customers can call the freephone number 0333 7591 018 or use the live chat during these times. The average call waiting time is 2 minutes 17 seconds, which is consistent with the industry average of 2 minutes 16 seconds, according to the Ofcom Comparing Customer Service Report 2021.

Customers can also access self-help guides on the Sky website, which are very comprehensive. Over 90% of customers who use these guides solve their issues without the need for phone or chat support, according to Sky.

Sky Broadband has an excellent record in terms of customer complaints, with just four complaints per 100,000 customers in Q3 2022, according to the Ofcom Telecoms & Pay TV Complaints Report published in January 2023. This is significantly lower than the industry average of 11 per 100,000 customers. Additionally, overall customer satisfaction with Sky Broadband services was 84% in 2021, which is marginally higher than the industry average of 83%, according to the Ofcom Comparing Customer Service Report 2021.

8. Final Verdict on Sky Broadband

Sky is a top broadband provider with excellent customer service, satisfaction, and complaint metrics. Although their broadband products are priced fairly for the speeds and services provided, the best value is achieved by taking Sky Broadband and TV together. Sky TV customers can customize their TV packages with add-ons such as Disney+, Netflix, and more, and can choose between Sky Q box, Sky Glass TV, or Sky Stream box for viewing. Lastly, Sky’s unlimited Broadband Superfast with 59Mbps speeds and phone line rental is available for new customers at £30.50 per month, without Sky TV. To order online, visit www.sky.com/broadband.