UK ISP Sky Broadband Launch Sky Talk Shield to Block Nuisance Callers
Sky Broadband has today joined TalkTalk and BT by launching their own solution for tackling unwanted and nuisance calls – ‘Sky Talk Shield‘. The new service will be offered free to existing customers of the operator’s Sky Talk (Phone Line Rental) service, which is included with their broadband bundles.
Once activated the new call screening service will either block robot callers automatically before the phone rings, or let users listen to who’s on the line before they accept the call. If it’s a person calling, the phone will ring and users will hear a recorded message with the screened caller’s name, so they know who it is. They then have several options, as below.
Sky Talk Shield – User Controllable Options
• Accept the call for one time only,
• Accept the call and add the caller to their personal Star List (i.e. the caller will always be allowed),
• Reject the call and add the number to a Block List,
• Send the call to their Sky voicemail (if they have it).
Customers will also be able to manage the Star List and Block List via their Home Phone or the My Sky account management page. The lists can handle up to 1,000 numbers.
Lyssa McGowan, Sky UK’s Chief Commercial Officer, said:
“Providing our customers with the very best experience across phone, broadband and TV is something that has always been extremely important for Sky.
The launch of Sky Talk Shield is another step in our commitment, offering a brilliantly simple and free service which hands power back to our customers, so they can stop the frustration and inconvenience caused by nuisance calls.”
Apparently the new Sky Talk Shield service will become available from 9th June 2017 (a few will also be able to use it from 1st June) and existing customers will be able to activate it by logging on to their My Sky account with their Sky iD and selecting ‘Broadband and Talk‘. No special hardware is required to use the service, although you do need to be on Sky’s unbundled local network (i.e. those on their old BT-based Connect packages are excluded).
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on Twitter, Google+, Facebook and Linkedin.
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I was involved in a pre-release trial and found the system very effective indeed, all those nuisance calls just stopped. My driving accident history has improved greatly, I don’t have any outstanding PPI compensation to claim and my computer no longer has a problem. I just seem to get calls from people I want to speak to!
I had mine activated this morning (i’m a member of staff) and my phone hasn’t rang all day, apart from when I test it. BLISS!!!
This is Sky’s answer to BT’s ‘Call Gaurdian’ (built into to BT’s newer cordless phones) – like the BT 8600/8610 for example.
It’s just that in Sky’s system you don’t have to invest in a new phone (you can use your existing kit) as all the new hardware is at your local ‘Sky’ exchange …
Not a criticism, just a comment. It is an excellent service ..
I want to cancel shield
I want to close shield
How do i cancel talk shield,my brother from Spain gets blocked and cant get through even though he says his name.I find it a bit of a pain both for the caller and myself.
How does this work with a call-answering phone. Because the recipient isn’t at home he /she can’t press the ‘accept’ button, so un-starred customers won’t be able to leave a message.
Why do I get this message when I try to activate sky talk shield
Sky Talk Shield is not available at your address
Unfortunately your address is currently outside of Sky’s Network area
Why do I get the following message when I. Try to activate sky talk shield quote Sky talk shield is not available at your address you are upside sky network area in which case who is collecting my payments each month.