Services

• Fair usage policy
• Support
• Email
• Home phone / calls
• Security package
• Mac compatible
• Digital TV
• Free wireless router
• Home broadband
• Fibre optic broadband
• ADSL broadband
• Free Gift Voucher
• Landline
• Sports TV
• True unlimited
• International Calls

Company history

Sky Broadband is part of British Sky Broadband (BSkyB), a company which was formed when Sky Television and BSB merged in 1990. Sky Television pioneered satellite television with their revolutionary Astra satellite and BSB provided similar services to customers in the UK.

Though the company was primarily recognised as a satellite, and subsequently digital, television provider they are now extending into providing broadband services. In 2005, BSkyB took over the ISP Easynet, an active broadband provider across Europe.

Sky has since been at the forefront of UK entertainment innovations. After introducing the UK to interactive TV back in 1998, it followed this up with another first in 2006 with the first-ever nationwide high definition channel in the form of Sky+.

Since then Sky has continued to transform the way we watch TV, with the arrival of online and on-demand TV. 2010 saw the arrival of 3D channels for the first time in UK homes. And in 2011, the company unveiled Sky Go, allowing Sky TV customers to watch live TV on the move on laptops, PC, Mac, Smartphones and tablets.

Alongside the company's offering, its broadband service has consistently grown in scope and scale. 2012 was marked by Sky joining the super-fast revolution with its first-ever fibre broadband products, offering speeds of up to 38Mb.

In 2013, Sky underlined its ambition by agreeing to acquire O2 and Be's broadband subscriber base in a £180 million deal. The transaction saw Sky become the second-largest provider in the UK fixed broadband market, behind BT.

Customer service

Sky’s reputation as a quality service provider is firmly reflected in their highly rated customer support, with knowledgeable and helpful staff on hand to assist with broadband or TV-related queries.

Lines are open 7am-11pm, seven days a week with calls charged at a local rate. Alternatively, for virtual assistance, the online ‘Ask Sky Box’ allows you to type in your query and receive a response without even picking up the phone.

In 2012, Ofcom named Sky the best broadband provider for customer service for the second consecutive year.

Equipment

All Sky broadband packages come with a free Sky Hub – a wireless router to you and me - which means you can surf the net throughout your home. Fitted with Sky Smart Signal technology, it's tailored to give you the best signal available and continuously scans the home for the best wireless channel.

But that's not all. As well as being easy to set up, the Sky Hub stands out for its intelligent power consumption too and automatically switches to low power mode when not in use.

A ‘Get Set’ CD is included with all packages which takes you through the process step by step. Alternatively, a Sky engineer is available for a professional home installation service from just £50.

Sky's broadband service itself is available in standard ADSL and super-fast fibre optic options, which offer maximum speeds of 14Mb and 38Mb respectively. Sky's broadband packages also include unlimited service downloads service to let customers download and stream content without restrictions.

But this provider's real USP lies in the breadth and quality of its Sky TV packages and its broadcast output. With over 240 free-to-air, non-subscription channels that are included with all Sky TV packages, it offers four times as many viewing options as Freeview.

The company's 40 paid-for standard and HD channels, taking in the likes of Sky Atlantic, Sky Movies, HBO and Sky Sports, feature the pick of programming from the US and UK, as well as coverage of crown-jewels sports events and Premier League football.

The Sky Anytime+ on-demand service, meanwhile, makes the network's broadcast output easier to enjoy. With a huge library of box sets, documentaries and kids' shows, plus the latest movies from Sky Movies One and Two, there's a huge array of entertainment on offer.

Sky Go is another of Sky's real USPs and is free to customers signed up to Sky TV packages. This allows users to watch on-demand and live TV online, via their PC, laptop, smartphone over a 3G or Wi-Fi connection.

If you want even more flexibility with your Sky content, you can sign up to Sky Go Extra. Like Sky Go, this offers customers the chance to stream content over 3G and Wi-Fi, but differs by also enabling subscribers to download their favourite shows to enjoy them even where there is no internet connection.

At the 2012 uSwitch Broadband Awards, Sky picked up the award for best TV service. The panel praised Sky for its range of channels, sports coverage, HD content and "pioneering efforts in Sky Go and Sky 3D, made Sky 'best in class' for TV service".

Sky customers also get access to 10,000 Wi-Fi hotspots across the UK, via the Cloud. Locations include outlets of Caffe Nero, Pizza Express and Wagamama.

Software features

McAfee Internet Security Suite is provided with a 12 months’ free subscription (usually £49.99) with all Sky broadband packages. Having the latest in security software means your computer will be protected from online viruses, spam, spyware, and hackers, so you can surf the web with confidence.

The security software also receives constant information on new threats, scams and viruses. For ultimate peace of mind, McAfee’s child-friendly filters also protect the little ones when they are online.

To keep children safe online, Sky also enables parents to regulate and monitor internet access throughout the home with new reporting tools. It's also possible to bar inappropriate programs from Sky's TV electronic program guide.

Email features

Sky offer a generous ten email addresses to share with your family in the home, with 200Mb of storage for all those messages, documents and pictures. You will also receive access to Sky’s unique photo website for uploading and saving galleries of high-resolution images.

Transferring to a Sky email account is also made easy through their Contacts Copier, allowing you to copy all of your information to an address book for easy access from your email account.