Author: Emma Davenport

Last updated: 14 November 2024

Why choose Sky Broadband?

As well as being infamous for its satellite TV offerings, 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.

Sky has plenty of bundle deals available that offer a broadband and TV service together under one bill. But it’s also worth considering if you just want a reliable 'broadband only' connection without too many extra bells and whistles.

Most importantly, if things ever do go wrong, or you need a helping hand, Sky’s proved itself to have a good customer service record.

Sky broadband plans and speeds

Sky offers different broadband speeds, with various options and add-ons available for each package. These include entertainment subscriptions for Sky Sports, Netflix, or landline calls.

We highly recommend you carefully check your personalised 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.

Sky Broadband Superfast

• Download speed: 61Mb
• Upload speed: 16Mb

This is Sky’s entry-level fibre broadband service. It will be quick enough for many homes with a couple of people. However, for small families where everyone is using broadband for activities like streaming, it may struggle.

Sky Broadband Full Fibre 75

• Download speed: 61Mb
• Upload speed: 16Mb

This is Sky’s entry-level fibre broadband service. It will be quick enough for many homes with a couple of people. However, for small families where everyone is using broadband for activities like streaming, it may struggle.

Sky Broadband Full Fibre 150

• Download speed: 145Mb
• Upload speed: 27Mb

If you have access to Sky’s full fibre deals, this will be an excellent choice if you regularly stream in HD, or if you have a couple of you working from home and taking part in video calls.

Sky Broadband Full Fibre 500

• Download speed: 500Mb
• Upload speed: 60Mb

If you live in a busier home, this speed boost will be valuable. Just bear in mind, many other providers offer faster upload speeds at this level. This won’t be a problem unless you intend to upload lots of data, for example if you’re a professional gamer.

Sky Broadband Full Fibre Gigafast

• Download speed: 900Mb
• Upload speed: 100Mb

The fastest Sky Full Fibre package available. We think the extra cost would only be justified if you live in a very busy home and a few of you will be streaming in Ultra HD at any one time and online gaming at the same time.

This isn’t an exhaustive list. There are many other options for bundling in TV (including Netflix) or home phone services:

How fast is Sky home broadband?

To help you understand how fast the different Sky broadband packages are, here are some examples of approximately how long it would take to download the feature film ‘No Time to Die’ in 1080p (HD) (9.14GB)

How well does Sky perform when it comes to speed?

Our broadband survey results suggest Sky customers do have some issues with the service. Customer speed satisfaction score was 66%, below the average of 72%.

Full fibre packages have disappointing upload speeds in comparison to the download speeds. They’re still worth it for many homes, but if you have FTTP in your area, you may find you have other options for packages that include symmetrical upload and download rates.

When you sign up to Sky, it clearly shows the estimated download and upload speeds you may receive for your exact property. We recommend you take note of this and think carefully before you sign your contract.

The Genie says...

It’s quite common for Sky Superfast not to reach the advertised speed. Many factors can affect this, such as the quality of your cabling or the distance from your home to the local exchange

Can I get Sky full fibre broadband?

We can almost guarantee you can sign up to Sky Broadband Superfast. However, whether you have access to a full fibre optic (FTTP) package will depend on whether your local network has been upgraded.

To find out, enter your postcode and full address into our deals checker.

If you don’t get presented with any Sky full fibre deals when you enter your address in our deals checker, but you’re keen to sign up as soon as you can, we recommend using the Openreach fibre checker. Once you get your results, fill in the ‘Keep me updated’ option to receive announcements on new full fibre developments in your immediate area.

Hold tight if you’re still limited on options. In the next few years, our traditional phone lines are due to be shut down. This means that the rush is on to give homes across the UK an upgrade in the not too distant future.

Does Sky Broadband offer a social tariff?

The Sky Broadband Basics social tariff is only available if you’re already signed up to a Sky Broadband package, and if you’re 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. However, 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.

Is Sky Broadband good value for money?

Sky is competitive in pricing. However, customers who responded to our customer survey, proved to be less satisfied with what they get in their package compared to some other providers.

Phone line rental is included in the monthly fee. But inclusive calls are extra. That means if you want to make phone calls on your landline, it’ll cost you. That’s ideal if you only need the phone for broadband. But take the time to compare options if it’s a feature you need. There are broadband and phone deals out there with inclusive calls that could cost less.

Sky rewards

Sky broadband deals are often available with a free gift card for new customers. This is typically available to spend at Tesco, Sainsbury’s, M&S, John Lewis, or you can get a pre-paid Mastercard for more flexibility.

In the past, we’ve seen gift cards worth over £100. Of course, the more expensive deals such as Sky Gigafast tend to come with more valuable rewards.

For general help with rewards, visit our guide to claiming free gifts and vouchers.

Will Sky add price rises this year?

Unlike other big name broadband providers, there's no set annual price rise for Sky Broadband in 2025. However, that's not to say it won't happen. In 2024, Sky raised its prices by an average of 6.7%. But going forwards, Ofcom has ruled any price rises must be set in clearer pounds and pence.

You should be informed of any mid-contract price rises and then be given 30 days to optionally leave your contract without penalty if you’re not happy.

Unfortunately, price rises are standard now among many broadband providers, so this isn’t necessarily cause for concern when considering signing up to Sky.

For more helpful advice, visit our broadband price rise guide.

How reliable is Sky home broadband?

In our 2024 Broadband Awards, Sky scored just a little below average with a 72% satisfaction score. In Ofcom's latest report on broadband complaints in the UK (last published in November 2024), it came out as the least complained about fixed broadband provider. 

Sky Broadband Boost is available as an add-on to its Superfast, Ultrafast, Ultrafast plus or Gigafast packages if you have Sky Q. For an additional cost, this offers a Wi-Fi guarantee for every room of your house. You'll also have access to more flexible engineer visits (including evening and weekends) and daily checks on your line. But you must be prepared to sign up to a 25-month contract.

If you don't have Sky Q, then Sky WiFi Max is an option. For an extra £4 per month, you'll receive an upgraded Sky Max Hub router, as well as similar Wi-Fi guarantees and engineer visits.

Sky broadband and phone deals

Does Sky offer home phone packages?

If you’re interested in including landline calls onto your broadband service, you’ll easily be able to do this with an add-on. Or you can sign up to a dedicated broadband and calls packages such as Sky Broadband 75 + Talk Anytime.

You have a choice of options:

• Sky Pay As You Talk - included as standard with all Sky Broadband packages - you only pay for what you use.
• Sky Talk Evening & Weekend Calls (+£8 per month*) - unlimited evening and weekend calls to UK landline and mobiles.
• Sky Talk Anytime Calls (+£16 per month*) - unlimited anytime calls to UK landlines and mobiles, even at peak times.
• Sky Talk International (+£18 per month*) - unlimited calls to UK mobiles and landlines, plus 50 extra international destinations

*All of these call packages are on a 24-month minimum term and prices may change during your contract period.

Sky broadband and mobile deals

You can sign up for a mobile phone plan with Sky Mobile, but unfortunately, there are no dedicated Sky Broadband and Mobile bundles. If you’re keen to sign up to Sky Mobile, we recommend heading to the VIP section of the My Sky app. Here, you’ll find exclusive offers only available to existing Sky customers.

Meanwhile, sign up to Sky Broadband, and you’ll receive 2GB of free data in your Sky Mobile Piggybank.

Does Sky offer broadband and TV bundles?

Sky’s famous satellite TV service offers hundreds of channels and loads more content on demand.

You can get broadband deals with Sky Glass, Sky Q or Sky Stream.

Sky Broadband and TV Bundles come in many combinations and can include subscriptions to Sky Sports, Netflix, Sky Cinema and Sky Atlantic.

If you're interested in researching what the competition such as Virgin Media has to offer, head to our guide, 'Alternatives to Sky TV and broadband'.

Does Sky offer broadband, phone and TV deals?

Sky can offer the whole package, with bundles combining home broadband, home phone with inclusive calling, and a premium TV package.

We recommend finding your perfect broadband and TV bundle first, then adding any calls package you’d like during checkout. As standard, all Sky Broadband customers can make use of Pay As You Talk calls.

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 is used to connect to the internet and share the broadband around your home using either wireless networking or wired network cables.
   
• The Cloud Wi-Fi
  The Cloud is Sky’s public Wi-Fi hotspot network. All Sky users get free access to The Cloud nationwide, so you can stay connected outside the home without using up your mobile data allowance.
   
• Sky Broadband Shield
  Sky offers internet filtering tools for parents who are concerned about their kids getting access to unsuitable content. It can be set up using age ratings or to block specific sites, and a watershed feature allows you to automatically disable the filter at certain times. See also: ‘How to use parental controls to keep your child safe’

You can also get vouchers and other free gifts with a new Sky deal. Visit our Sky rewards page for the latest offers.

How good is the Sky broadband router?

All new Sky broadband deals include a Sky Broadband Hub. This Sky Broadband Hub replaces the old Sky and Sky Q Hubs.

An optional upgrade is available – the Sky WiFi Max Hub. This is a Wi-Fi 6 router that uses smart features, allowing you to control Wi-Fi speed, device access and more. This currently will cost you an extra £4 per month, for the length of your contract.

For a more in-depth look at these two devices, head over to our Sky Broadband router round-up.

Sky Broadband Apps

Sky Broadband customers can download the My Sky app. With this, you can manage your Sky TV, broadband and mobile accounts and view important information such as your installation date. If you join Sky VIP, you can also access your loyalty programme perks through there.

Can I watch Sky TV on the move?

If you’re signed up to a Sky TV subscription, you can download the Sky Go app to 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.

Is Sky an eco-friendly broadband provider?

Currently, Sky doesn’t meet the ethical standards set by The Good Shopping Guide. However, it’s received a high ethical rating for fossil fuels.

In 2020, Sky pledged to go net zero carbon by 2030. Part of its plan to achieve this includes:

• making all of its tech products more energy efficient
• developing the world’s most sustainable film and TV studios
• making every Sky original production, TV channel, show, and film net zero carbon
• transforming its 5,000 vehicles to create a zero emissions fleet
• helping the 11,000 companies that work with Sky, whether they’re making Sky boxes or producing the next hit TV series, on their path to net zero carbon
• Planting trees, mangroves, and seagrass.

Sky asks cancelling customers to return old routers back. It supplies a prepaid returns packaging for this. It can also reuse most parts from any other old Sky equipment including Wi-Fi extenders, Sky Steam pucks, whilst Sky TV customers are encouraged to return Sky boxes and remotes.

For more tips on disposing electronic goods, visit our guide: ‘how to recycle a Wi-Fi router’.

Sky Broadband: pros and cons

Which Sky Broadband package should I choose?

Sky Broadband has something for every level of user, and the deals can be customised to ensure you get exactly what you need.

Sky Broadband Superfast is a good entry-level standard fibre broadband service that’s readily available to homes across the UK.

However, if you do have options to sign up to a full fibre service, we recommend you do this. Sky Broadband Full Fibre 150 will give you significantly faster speeds for just a little more per month, or even less if you can make use of a rewards offer.

Even faster deals are available with Sky, however, unless you live in a busy home where many of you are streaming in UHD at any one time, you shouldn’t need to splash out on the fastest deals.

Remember, it’s always easier to upgrade your package than downgrade.

To understand which package speed you need for your home, visit our guide: ‘what broadband speed do I need? Do I need fast broadband?’

Points to consider before you choose

• How many people will be using your broadband connection, and will they be using it for streaming or downloading?
• Are you already paying for a standalone Netflix subscription? Can you save money with a bundle instead?
• Is being tied into a longer contract a problem for you?
• Do you want more flexibility when it comes to TV channels? For example, shorter standalone Sky Sports packages are available, and you add these separately during checkout.

What are the benefits of Sky Broadband?

Truly unlimited broadband - Sky offers truly unlimited broadband with no monthly download limits and no traffic management, even at peak times. This lets you download files or play games to your heart’s content without needing to worry about being artificially slowed down.

Sky TV - Sky’s satellite TV service is second-to-none in the range of options it provides, including premium channels such as Sky Sports and Sky Cinema. Even the most basic Sky TV service offers the exclusive channel Sky Atlantic. The Sky Q box also builds in Multiscreen support (for an additional monthly charge), so you can catch your favourite shows on TVs and tablet computers around your home.

Sky Boost - by opting to pay a little extra each month, you can get extra benefits added to your broadband deal. These include engineer visits at times that suit you, including evenings and weekends, daily checks on your line to catch any problems and fix them as fast as possible, and 2GB added to your Sky Mobile account, if you have one.

Wi-Fi Guarantee - if you opt to pay extra for Sky Boost and your Wi-Fi isn't performing as well as it should, Sky will take several steps to improve the situation. You may receive a Wi-Fi booster, or a Sky Engineer could be sent out to optimise things for you. If you're still not getting Wi-Fi in every room, then Sky will refund your Boost upgrade for the remainder of your contract.

Some of the best Wi-Fi kit available - With the Sky Q Hub, you get one of the most reliable and best performing wireless routers provided with a broadband service. 

Complete entertainment - Sky’s combined TV/broadband/phone deals allow you to pay for all of your entertainment services together, saving hassle and potentially saving money on getting these individually, especially from different providers.

What are the drawbacks of Sky Broadband?

Let's face it, not everything can be perfect, and even the best deals may have a downside.

No short contracts - Sky’s contracts have a minimum of 24 months, which can be a problem for those who have short tenancies or do not want the commitment of a year-long contract.

Expensive for the full deal - A full Sky TV deal can get pretty expensive, especially if you only want to watch certain shows or channels.

Many flagship TV features cost more - A number of Sky Q's widely advertised features actually require the additional Sky Q Multiscreen subscription, which adds £15 to your monthly cost. All these extras add up.

Possible mid-contract price rises - Unlike other big name providers, there’s no clear, set annual price rise. But this doesn’t mean you won’t receive one. Although, you'll be informed in advance of any changes to your contract and will have the option to leave if it doesn’t suit... but that’s a lot of hassle, especially if you’re invested in TV packages.

How to switch to Sky Broadband

Think carefully about the Sky package that suits you best. We recommend making a list of any TV channels you’re likely to make use of and think about whether you would make use of these throughout the course of your contract.

Once you’ve done your research, click on the 'Get deal' 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. Plus, usually, your current service won’t be automatically cancelled until your Sky activation date - that should mean very minimal downtime.

Expert Summary: how good is Sky Broadband?

Sky’s biggest strength is that it offers a complete home entertainment bundle. You can get TV, phone, broadband, and even mobile for one monthly price. That’s pretty handy!

None of these services feels like a compromise. The TV service is exceptional, while its broadband is on the same level as the big competitors, and better than many. Sky deals include lots of extras, too, like free public Wi-Fi hotspots and minimum speed guarantees.

The TV and broadband bundles can get expensive, though. If you’d rather drop the TV package and save money, its standalone broadband service and other packages are reasonably priced. 

Sky has also improved its reputation when it comes to after-sales support. And in recent years, has been reasonably well-rated for tech support and customer service. 

Find out how other Sky broadband customers feel about their service. Head to our Sky reviews page.

Frequently Asked Questions about Sky Broadband

• Can I upgrade my Sky Broadband package?

  It may be possible to upgrade your Sky Broadband package. However, you could be limited when it comes to speed. Unless your local network has been upgraded to full fibre, then your fastest package option will currently be Sky Broadband Superfast.

  But any broadband package will be able to upgrade to include TV deals or extras such as WiFi Max at any time.

• Can you get Sky Broadband only?

  Yes. Sky is renowned for its TV packages, but it’s still a good choice if you’re after a simple, broadband only deal too. Sky Broadband Superfast or a full fibre package such as Sky Full Fibre 150 aren’t always the cheapest, but there tends to be no set-up fee.