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Sky Broadband Review: Overview
Sky currently dominate the market when it comes to TV, that being said how do they fair up in the Home Broadband world?
In this Sky broadband review, we will be going over the different kinds of packages that Sky have to offer, and if they can hold their ground when compared to some of the big dogs.
Sky packages offer great value for money when TV is included in the package, this is a great way to get your home connected and bundle everything together.
Most people do not realise that packages can be split though, for example you do not need to take a TV package with Sky and if you wanted could have your broadband with another provider if it works out cheaper.
That being said the Sky broadband tv deals are awesome, offering tons of value for money with great TV experience.
Sky has strong customer service and overall consistent performance, combine this with a solid Sky broadband router and you’re onto a winner.
We always recommend throwing your postcode into the Sky broadband availability checker just to be sure that you are eligible for their services first.
Sky’s unlimited packages are all truly unlimited, meaning you can download until your heart’s content, no fair usage policy or traffic management either meaning you will have a consistent speed no matter the time of day.
That being said if you do happen to choose a package with a download limit, and you download more than 25GB twice in the space of six months, they will automatically bump you up to an unlimited package that will cost you more.
Sky also offers a seamless transfer over from your current provider, 2 weeks after placing your order you can expect to go live.
This is completely hassle-free and you won’t even need to contact your current provider to let them know that you will be leaving.
Sky Broadband Review: Packages
Sky offer four different home broadband packages that cover the needs of almost every type of customer.
From those that use home broadband simply because they don’t want to use all of their mobile data when at home, to those who rely on home broadband for work purposes and demand a consistent speed.
Let’s take a look at what the speeds are like on Sky’s packages:
- Sky Broadband – 11MB (18-month)
- Sky Unlimited Broadband – 11MB (18-month)
- Sky Fibre Broadband – 40MB (18-month)
- Sky Fibre Max – 63MB (18-month)
If you are someone who really does need super-fast speeds, then you will want to check out our Virgin and EE Home Broadband review as these providers will be able to offer faster speeds.
Unfortunately, Sky doesn’t offer any fibre to the property deals meaning 63MB is as fast as it gets for them.
For the most part though Sky will have a package that would suit the average customer, especially seeing as though they offer TV and home phone bundled in together to give you a cost-effective entertainment package.
All of Sky’s packages do however come with a setup fee from £9.95 that would need to be paid in order to get everything set up, this may be more depending on if you have a BT line installed or not.
Sky Broadband Review: Coverage
Now because Sky leases the line from BT, this means that if you are currently being supplied by BT, Plusnet or EE then you will be eligible for a Sky package.
Over 16 million homes are currently being supplied broadband through a BT line, meaning the likely-hood of you being able to take a Sky package is pretty high.
We definitely recommend quickly shooting your postcode into their Sky broadband availability checker though just to double-check and get an estimation of the speeds that can be provided to you.
See Related:
*Virgin Broadband Review*
*BT Broadband Review*
*NOW Broadband Review*
*Post Office Broadband Review*
*John Lewis Broadband Review*
If you are not able to get fibre because of the area that you live in, you will almost definitely be able to take their ADSL package.
Speeds are largely dependent on the area that you live in, for example if you live in a city centre then the speeds quoted to you will be very accurate.
However, if you are out in the sticks you may find that the speeds are slightly lower than first quoted, due to your area.
That being said most providers will let you leave a contract without penalty if your speeds are lower than the minimum guaranteed speeds that are disclosed in your contract.
Sky Broadband Review: Performance
Sky offer line rental in with all of their packages, it’s called ‘Pay as You Talk’, meaning you can still make calls whenever you want but you will only pay for the minute you use.
This feature can be great if you’re someone who doesn’t use your landline often but still like to make the odd calls here and there.
Here are the talk plans that Sky offer:
- Sky Talk Evenings & Weekends Extra – This includes 24/7 calls to Sky Customer Service and Calls to UK Landlines & mobiles on Saturday – Sunday and on Monday – Friday evenings. International calls are charged at standard rates with Landlines costing 15.5p per minute and mobiles costing 19.5p per minute. This plan costs £23.99 per month.
- Sky Talk Anytime Extra – This includes 24/7 calls to Sky Customer Services and Calls to UK Landlines and mobiles are available at any time. With International calls being charged at 2p a minute to 22 destinations and calls to 0845 & 0870 charged at 15p per minute and the access charge. This plan costs £28.99 per month
- Sky Talk Anytime Extra – This includes 24/7 calls to Sky Customer Service and Calls to UK Landlines & mobiles are available at any time. International calls are included in up to 50 destinations and 0845 and 0870 numbers charged at 15p per minute as well as the access charge.
Sky line rental features also include Sky 1571 Voicemail, which means callers can leave a message is the line is engaged or you do not answer for a fee of £2 per month.
Call display that allows you to view that is calling you before you answer the phone.
Automatic number withhold is also an inclusive feature that allows you to withhold your number when you make a call.
Now let’s take a look at Sky’s Home Broadband packages…
Sky Broadband
This is Sky’s most basic ADSL package; it is aimed for very light users and has a broadband cap of 12GB.
The package is not for customers who are going to be using broadband heavily or have more than 1 or 2 devices connected.
We really wouldn’t recommend this plan for anyone who has kids or is going to be using the broadband on a regular basis, as you will find that you use the 12GB and then Sky will boost you up on a higher plan automatically.
Advertised at £6.01 a month, we think this is a little misleading as you also have to pay for the line rental too, which bumps the cost up to a hefty £25.
There is also a £29.95 set up fee that would need to be paid, in order to get the Sky Q Hub sent out to you.
Making this deal not so attractive at all when you think that broadband usage is capped too.
Sky Unlimited Broadband
This package is truly unlimited, meaning you can download as much as you want and won’t be bumped up on to a more expensive plan as the ‘Sky’ is the limit, see what we did there.
Now like all Sky home broadband packages, this is an 18-month contract, but this is to be expected, as this is the general term that providers like to tie you in for.
This plan works out at £18 per month, which is cheaper than their capped broadband package, we couldn’t work it out either.
We guess its something to do with them jacking the price up to £30 once the 18-month term is over and it does involve switching your home phone over to Sky too.
If you are a big user of your landline, this might not be ideal as if you make a lot of calls you will find yourself forking out extra for a home phone package, as seen in the above section.
This package is ideal for those who want to connect to Wi-Fi in their house but don’t need record-breaking speeds, its perfect for saving data on your mobile phone with it being truly unlimited.
Again this comes with a £29.95 set up fee to get the Sky Q Hub broadband router sent out to you and get everything set up, it’s not a deal-breaker but definitely something to consider and some providers offer free setup.
Sky Fibre Broadband
Sky’s fibre package promises an average speed of 40MB/sec, this is strong and is perfect for those who have more than 1 or 2 devices connected in their home.
The plan costs £27 per month again with the setup fee of £29.95, but be warned just like the previous plan, when your contract finished this will hike up to £39 per month.
We always recommend writing down your contract dates or making a note in your calendar on your mobile device, that way you cant be hit by any huge price increased when your contract is over.
We don’t think this is a bad deal, but when compared to the likes of EE, which offer a whopping 10GB of free mobile data, a smaller setup fee and no price increase at the end of your contract.
This may make you rethink your choice as other providers do offer a similar package but offer more perks.
Sky Fibre Max
Now for those who demand faster speeds, maybe you work from home or are a heavy gamer; this package would be the one to look at.
The sky fibre max plan offers users an average speed of 63MB/sec and is currently priced at £27 per month with a setup fee of £29.95.
This is perfect for those with large families or those connecting up multiple devices to the Wi-Fi.
That being said if you really do need fast speeds, then you may want to check out our Virgin Home Broadband review as these are kind when it comes to broadband speed and may offer a better package.
The price will jump up to £43.99 after the contract has ended too, so be sure to write the dates down and set a reminder when the contract is up.
Sky Broadband Review: TV
One of the main perks of Sky is that they do offer a complete TV package, Sky Entertainment.
The Sky broadband tv deals are amazing, are if your thinking of switching to Sky then we would recommend a TV package too as this is where the value comes in.
This literally has you covered when it comes to watching TV and offers over 300 channels, you can grab some awesome add-ons too, such as Sky Sports, Sky Cinema and Sky kids.
HD channels are also available too, with over 40+ HD to choose from, making your entertainment set up a whole lot better.
Sky Broadband Review: Setup
So when it comes to the setup fee of Sky home broadband, as previously mentioned on all of their packages there is a £29.95 fee.
Unfortunately, this is unavoidable and is charged to send out the Sky Q Hub that you need to connect to Sky’s service.
The set up usually takes around 2 weeks to set up, it is completely effortless as Sky handle the whole process for you, they will contract your current provider and let them know of the move.
They also send you an activation date of when your service will go live, and provided that you don’t need an engineer to fit up a telephone line, 2 weeks will be the timescale to be fully set up and running.
Sky will also provide you with a full step-by-step guide on exactly how to set up the home broadband, so it really is painless.
Sky Broadband Review: Customer Satisfaction
So how is Sky with its customer service?
Well, we called them to have a quick chat to gain some further insight for this review; we got connected with a lovely agent named Ben.
Ben was great and more than happy to speak with us and give us all of the information we required.
Sky also does great with their customer service surveys, having lots of recognition from Ofcom in recent reports.
They have a customer services team that is open between the hours of 7 am and 11 pm, they are happy to answer any queries regarding anything Sky related.
Sky Broadband Review: Summary
So is Sky Home Broadband really worth the money?
Well if your some who loves to watch lots of TV, then yes! Skys broadband tv deals are simply amazing and when bundled into the broadband package the value for money is insane.
However the setup fee is a bit of a bummer, we thought that £29.95 on every single package was a little steep, that being said it’s not going to break the bank for most people and once it’s paid you are all set up.
The Sky broadband router is extremely impressive, it looks great in your home and is powerful enough to give every room in your house a decent connection.
We did not like that after the contract is over, Sky will move your package onto a much higher plan, this is not ideal and can be very frustrating for customers that may not keep up to date with their contract.
As mentioned we definitely recommend placing your postcode in the Sky broadband availability checker to be sure that you are eligible for their deals.
Also, the fact that their speeds are very limited, with the maximum speeds provided by Sky being 63MB, so if you’re serious about gaming or work from home you will want to check out our EE and Virgin Home Broadband review.
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