Key Takeaways: Sky Broadband
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What does Sky Broadband offer?
Infamous for its TV channels, Sky is also a leading provider of fibre broadband in the UK. If you're keen on speed, there's a choice of ultrafast full-fibre services too.
You have several options with Sky. Opt for a:
- Broadband only package
- Broadband and TV bundle
- Broadband package with calls
- Broadband package with TV and home phone calls
Who is Sky Broadband good for?
We recommend Sky Broadband if:
- You’re keen to get the best TV packages with your broadband
- You’re a sports fan
- You enjoy watching the latest blockbusters and box sets.
Even without TV add-ons, it's a solid choice for a value internet connection. Sky often provides great rewards and incentives for new customers switching.
If things ever do go wrong, or you need a helping hand, Sky has a good customer service record.
Sky fibre broadband plans and speeds
Sky provides a range of broadband speeds. Each package has different options and add-ons. These include entertainment subscriptions for:
- Sky Sports
- Netflix
- Landline calls
Genie Tip: You should check your estimated download speed after you’ve entered your address details on checkout, and before you sign your contract.
Unfortunately, not everyone will be able to enjoy the advertised average download speed.
How to choose the best Sky Broadband package deals for your home
Sky deals come with long 24-month contracts. Make sure you choose the right option for your home. It’s always easy to upgrade a broadband package, but harder to downgrade.
Think about who’s at home, and how you all use the internet. If you need a quick helping hand, here’s a general guide:
We think the best Sky Broadband deal for most homes is Sky Broadband Full Fibre 150.
- Speed: 150Mb avg. speed
- Set-up cost: £0
- Contract: 24 months
Rewards:
£23 per month
Price may rise during contract
But here's a more detailed round-up to make sure pick the right package:
Sky Broadband-only deals
Best Sky package for small households or light use
Sky Superfast (67Mb)
Good for 1-2 people browsing, streaming in HD and everyday use.
Best Sky package for families and shared homes
Sky Full Fibre 75 or 150
Handles multiple streams, smart TVs and video calls without slowdown.
- Speed: 67Mb avg. speed
- Set-up cost: £0
- Contract: 24 months
Rewards:
£23 per month
Price may rise during contract
- Speed: 150Mb avg. speed
- Set-up cost: £0
- Contract: 24 months
Rewards:
£23 per month
Price may rise during contract
Best Sky package for working from home
Sky Full Fibre 150 or 500
More reliable speeds for video calls, cloud uploads and large downloads.
- Speed: 500Mb avg. speed
- Set-up cost: £0
- Contract: 24 months
Rewards:
£27 per month
Price may rise during contract
Best Sky package for heavy streaming and gaming
Sky Full Fibre 500
Ideal if several people stream in 4K, or game online at the same time.
Best Sky package for ultra-busy homes
Sky Gigafast or Gigafast+ (where available)
Only worth it if many users are online simultaneously.
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Can you get Sky full fibre yet?
We can almost guarantee you can sign up to Sky Broadband Superfast. But you may not yet have access to Sky Full Fibre packages.
Check Sky fibre broadband availability. Enter your postcode and full address into our deals checker.
Compare Deals on Sky Broadband
Sky TV and Broadband Deals
Sky’s famous TV service offers hundreds of channels and loads more content on demand.
You can get broadband deals with Sky Stream and Sky Glass, or Sky Glass Air TVs.
There are two base TV packages you can add to your broadband service:
Essential TV (+£15 a month for 24 months)
Includes:
- 90 free to air channels
- Sky Atlantic
- Netflix
- Discovery+
Ultimate TV (+£22 a month for 24 months)
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You can then choose to add on:
- Sky Sports (+£20 a month)
- Sky Cinema (+10 a month)
Want to compare TV offerings from other providers? Read our 'alternatives to Sky TV and broadband' guide.
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Watching Sky TV subscriptions on the go
Sky TV customers can download the Sky Go app. Stream or download TV films or live sport whilst you’re on the move.
You can also use it to watch free-to-air channels including ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5.
- Speed: 300Mb avg. speed
- Set-up cost: £0
- Contract: 24 months
Rewards:
£35 per month
Price may rise during contract
- Speed: 75Mb avg. speed
- Set-up cost: £0
- Contract: 24 months
Rewards:
£41 per month
Price may rise during contract
Sky Broadband, TV, and Phone Deals
Sky also has bundles that include home broadband, home phone with calls, and a premium TV package.
Find your ideal broadband and TV bundle first. Then, add any calls package you want at checkout.
As standard, all Sky Broadband customers can make use of Pay As You Talk calls.
Speed and performance
How fast are the different Sky packages? Here are some examples for how long it would take to download the feature film ‘No Time to Die’ in 1080p (HD) (9.14GB).
| Sky Broadband Package | Download Time |
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| Sky Broadband 75 | 19 mins 58 secs |
| Sky Broadband Full Fibre 150 | 16 mins 15 secs |
| Sky Broadband Full Fibre 500 | 2 mins 26 secs |
| Sky Broadband Full Fibre Gigafast | 1 min 58 secs |
| Sky Broadband 5Gb | 15 seconds |
Are Sky Broadband speeds reliable?
Our broadband survey results show Sky customers have experienced issues Sky's broadband service. It received a 66% satisfaction score.
Full fibre packages have disappointing upload speeds in comparison to the download speeds.
If you love gaming, live-streaming, or work from home, you may want to consider an altnet provider. These are more likely to offer symmetrical upload and download speeds. Although they're unlikely to offer TV services.
When you sign up to Sky, you'll get an estimate on download and upload speeds for your property.
We recommend you take note of this and think carefully before you sign your contract.
- Read more: ‘What are altnets?’
Special offers and promotions
Best Sky Broadband deals for new customers
Your deal choices will depend on your address.
Use Broadband Genie’s postcode checker to find the best options for your home:
For a quick glance, here’s a round-up of today’s most popular packages:
- Speed: 150Mb avg. speed
- Set-up cost: £0
- Contract: 24 months
Rewards:
£23 per month
Price may rise during contract
- Speed: 67Mb avg. speed
- Set-up cost: £0
- Contract: 24 months
Rewards:
£23 per month
Price may rise during contract
Sky Broadband deals for existing customers
All the deals that appear on our comparison pages are for new customers only.
Visit our guide for Sky existing customers and get more help.
Sky Social Tariff
The Sky Broadband Basics social tariff is available for those already signed up for a Sky Broadband package. You must be currently receiving the following UK benefits:
- Universal Credit (UC)
- Pension Credit (PC)
- Income-based Employment Support Allowance (I-ESA)
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (I-JSA)
- Income Support (IS)
Sky Broadband Basics will cost you a reduced £20 per month on a 24-month contract. If you need to leave before the contract ends, you won’t be charged any early termination fees.
After the two-year contract, you will revert to the standard rate.
For more information, head to our guide on broadband social tariffs.
Sky Broadband extras and free gifts
All Sky broadband customers receive the following free extras:
- Sky Hub Wi-Fi broadband
The Sky Hub Wi-Fi router connects to the internet. You can connect to it using either wireless networking or wired network cables.
- Sky Wi-Fi Max
Want guaranteed speeds in every room of your home? The Sky WiFi Max add-on (+£4 per month or free with Sky Gigafast) is an option.
A Max Pod WiFi extender may be supplied if you’re struggling with Wi-Fi coverage.
- The Cloud Wi-Fi
The Cloud is Sky’s public Wi-Fi hotspot network. Sky customers get free access to The Cloud nationwide. This means you can stay connected outside the home without using up your mobile data allowance.
- Sky Broadband Shield
Sky offers internet filtering tools for parents concerned about their kids accessing unsuitable content.
You can apply age filters or block specific sites. A watershed feature allows you to automatically disable the filter at certain times.
Sky Rewards
You can also get vouchers and other free gifts with a new Sky deal. Visit our Sky rewards page for the latest offers.
Sky Broadband App
Sky Broadband customers can download the My Sky app. With this, you can manage your Sky TV, broadband and mobile accounts.
You can also view important information such as your installation date.
If you join Sky VIP, you can also access your loyalty programme perks through there.
Pros and cons of Sky Broadband
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How to switch to Sky Broadband
Think carefully about the Sky package that suits you best.
Making a list of TV channels you might use. Consider if you will need these during your contract.
Once you’ve done your research, click the ‘See offer’ button to complete the checkout for your chosen Sky deal. You will need to let Sky know who your current broadband provider is.
Thanks to the One-Touch Switch process, switching should now be much easier.
Sky will let your existing provider know you’re switching. Your current service will continue until your Sky activation date. This means there should be little to no downtime.
More about Sky broadband and TV installation
Sky Superfast will be the most straightforward. Most homes in the UK already have access to the BT Openreach network, which this product uses. No special installation required. All you’ll need is a suitable router, and you could self-install without any engineer visit.
- Read more: 'What is Openreach?'
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Installing Sky Full Fibre Broadband
If your postcode checker results show you can sign up to a full fibre deal, you may still need an engineer visit. A fibre optic cable may need installing. This normally requires drilling a hole through your home.
Access will either be via a telegraph pole and cable, or through the ground. The engineer will need to assess this on an individual basis.
The installation process normally takes no longer than 2 hours. Someone must be at home to give the engineer access to your property.
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Do you still need a satellite dish for Sky TV?
An external dish is no longer required for Sky TV deals. You’ll either get access to your TV service using a supplied streaming box or TV.
A Full Fibre connection may still require an engineer visit.
Frequently Asked Questions about Sky Broadband
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Can I upgrade my Sky Broadband package?
The options to upgrade your Sky package might be limited if your local network isn't on full fibre.
But any customer should be able to upgrade TV packages or extras (such as WiFi Max) at any time.
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Can you get Sky Broadband only?
Yes. Sky is best known for its TV packages, but it remains a good choice if you seek a simple, broadband-only deal. Sky Broadband deals aren’t always the cheapest, but there tends to be no set-up fee. You can often get gift cards when you switch.
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Do Sky Broadband customers get a mid-contract price rise?
Sky doesn’t have a fixed mid-contract price rise, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be one.
Not happy about a price increase? You have 31 days to leave for free.
- Read more: ‘A guide to broadband price increases’
Expert Summary
Sky Broadband is a reliable choice if you want dependable speeds and the option to bundle with TV. Full fibre packages suit most homes well, with truly unlimited usage and a strong customer service record.
It’s not always the cheapest, and upload speeds can lag behind some full fibre rivals. But for households that want a reliable service and entertainment bundles, Sky remains a safe and popular option.
Find out how other Sky broadband customers feel about their service. Head to our Sky reviews page.
Deals and speeds vary by address. User our postcode checker to see which Sky Broadband offers are available at your home today.