Sky UK Cuts Fibre Max Price and Removes Fibre Unlimited Broadband UPDATE3
UK ISP Sky Broadband (Sky plc) has removed their FTTC based Sky Fibre Unlimited (36Mbps average download speed) and phone package from their line-up of bundles. Instead they retain only their 11Mbps standard broadband and 63Mbps Sky Fibre Max options, albeit at a further reduced monthly price.
Sky hasn’t said why they’ve decided to only promote their Fibre Max (FTTC) and Broadband Unlimited (ADSL2+) packages to new customers via their website (existing subscribers are unaffected), although it could well be a precursor to the forthcoming launch of their new FTTP and G.fast (Openreach) based “ultrafast broadband” packages (here). They may not wish to confuse consumers with too many options.
The operator has also dropped the already discounted monthly price of Sky Fibre Max by a further -£3, which puts it much closer to the position that Sky Fibre Unlimited once held.
Sky Unlimited
* Average download speed 11Mbps (0.8Mbps upload)
* Included £50 Prepaid MastercardPRICE: £18 a month for 18 months (£30 thereafter) + £19.95 one-off setup
Sky Fibre Max
* Average download speed 63Mbps (18Mbps upload)
* Included £50 Prepaid MastercardPRICE: £27 a month for 18 months (£43.99 thereafter) + £59.95 one-off setup
As usual both packages include unlimited usage, a wireless router (Sky Q Hub on Fibre), Sky Talk line rental (standard UK call rates), unlimited access to WiFi hotspots from The Cloud, Sky Shield (Parental Controls and Anti-Malware), Sky Talk Shield (nuisance call blocking) and email.
UPDATE 10:28am
Feedback from several customers has confirmed that, as part of today’s change, Sky are also sending out letters to existing Sky Fibre Unlimited subscribers that claims they will be upgraded to Sky Fibre Max free of charge (BT did something similar last year). We are checking to see if there are any caveats or exclusions to this offer (the letters have only gone out recently so not everybody will have received one yet).
UPDATE 4:02pm
Sky has confirmed to ISPreview.co.uk that customers in certain areas will automatically be moved to Fibre Max, which we suspect may be a reference to those who can actually benefit from the faster speeds on offer (i.e. if you’re on a 40Mbps FTTC profile but can’t actually get better than that speed due to copper line limits then obviously there’s no point in you being moved to the faster tier).
As mentioned earlier, no extra monthly cost will be incurred by the customer from this change. We should clarify that the old Sky Fibre Unlimited plan may still exist under the hood, but it’s no longer being displayed on their product page for new subscribers (you’ll probably see it if your estimated speeds during the order phase fall into its performance class).
UPDATE 11th October 2018
By the sounds of it the upgrade is being deployed in phases over a 6 month period. Many of the letters we’ve seen state that the “upgrades start in December and run through to spring.” Take note that the “average speed” of 63Mbps that is stated in these letters is just the general advertised rate, while your own line may go faster or slower depending on its quality and length.
One aspect that isn’t being widely reported is that the Sky Fibre Max upgrade will also give you faster uploads (the 80/20 FTTC profile supports speeds of up to 20Mbps but the average is 18Mbps).
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he is also the founder of ISPreview since 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on Twitter, Google+, Facebook and Linkedin.
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Good news! Often the 40/10 service they provide is a bit slow especially for those with numerous kids in the house. Now means sky can keep up with the lowest speeds virgin offer, at a price to appeal. Can see problems though, as many fibre ports in a cab are happy running at a 40/10 profile, but start to error at the 80/20 profile, especially on the limits of where 80/20 sync cab be achieved due to distance from the Dslam.
Nah, if the line can’t support it, sync will just drop back to an appropriate supported level… So the maximum potential is 80/20 but unless your within the required range of the cab for higher speeds than you had, it won’t change things.
Wonder how this will affect those on the 55/10 package.
Interestingly I got a letter yesterday from Sky saying they are upgrading us free of charge to Sky Fibre Max from December onwards!
Were you out of the original contract at the time or near its end?
Visited two friends yesterday, they’ve had letter from sky saying they are upgrading them from DSL to Fibre Max with no extra cost. They are still in their contract term too.
My father has also received such a letter, and he only upgraded to his current package a few weeks back, so definitely within terms.
I wonder if my mother-in-law will get an upgrade from DSL Broadband max to Fibre?
Started new contract in July I think, so within contract, doesn’t say anything about changing contract terms, although does say you can opt out and stay on current package.
@Michael V
Do you if your friends who have been offered free ADSL to fibre upgrade, are on Sky ADSL LLU exchange?
(Thinkbroadband’s article seems to suggest where sky broadband is not available, a new customer will be offered Fibre Max or Fibre Unlimited)
@bob. Hi! They are on a LLU exchange. They’ve got the full package, broadband with phone bundle. [+ The full TV service!]
Will that don’t make much sense. The lowest speed fibre option if usually one of the most popular. If anything sky should have dropped DSL broadband & keep both fibre options. I’m thinking that as that’s what Vodafone has done with their home broadband services. They only have fibre options. The 33 DL speed is currently only £22. Funny thing is, I’m leaving sky in a few days!
Dropping DSL would leave a lot of Sky customers with no connection – not everyone has the option of VDSL – which would be bad for business. Vodafone are building their customer base so not offering DSL doesn’t leave orphan customers (as they have no DSL customers) it just reduces their potential market size slightly.
@AnotherTim. Hello. Maybe I didn’t make it clear… When I say drop DSL broadband, I ment going forward for new connections but still maintaining the existing DSL broadband connections for current customers.
As someone who can’t get more than 25mb fttc connection I hope this isn’t a sign I’m going to end up paying more for the same soon if others follow suit… Annoyingly I’d pay more for faster if it was available!
Pretty much in the same boat as you.
Most of my town are – and I am going to yet again do something about it – I got the town ADSL and FTTC now going for gigabit.
I am also in this 25mb club!
Now go and see what changes were made for volume commits and see if you can work out why Sky might feel such a change is worth the effort
https://www.openreach.co.uk/orpg/home/updates/briefings/generalbriefings/generalbriefingsarticles/gen03618.do
If you read the recent pricing & discount announcement it’s logical
https://www.openreach.co.uk/orpg/home/updates/briefings/generalbriefings/generalbriefingsarticles/gen03618.do
I was with BT for 10 plus years and never had any issues in that time. Their Fibre Max package was lightening fast and reliable.
I will switch back to them as soon as I’m out of contract with Sky.
No gimmick or price cut will keep me with them.
Their Fibre Max is unpredictable and unreliable.
Interesting move but Sky are actually still offering the slower speed Sky Fibre Unlimited and suppressing the selection of Fibre Max product on my line.
BT are willing to sell me Broadband (Ave 10), Superfast Fibre Essential (Ave 36) and Superfast Fibre (Ave 50).
So clearly Sky are being selective based on the achievable speed of the actual line (with conservative safety margin) and are for this specific offer seeking to up sell either the ADSL or the FTTC product to those that can obtain the speed. I also note that they are being very explicit on the expected performance of their products which is dynamic depending on the specific address.
The letters going out to existing customers may also be selective.
£50 cashback via prepaid Mastercard – but a £60 install fee. Why do they mess around like this?
£27/month sounds nice, but when it reverts to £44/month you’d better run.
It’s not fibre. It makes me so angry! 🙂
This is the initial front offer clearly to up-sell to the higher product if speed achievable.
After address check Sky offer available packages for the particular line. I am offered Sky Fibre Unlimited but not Sky Fibre Max. Therefore Sky are being selective within a safety margin and are being very explicit by stating the expected performance during ordering not averages at address level.
Using a selection of addresses Sky Broadband was also suppressed if long distance from the exchange but an acceptable FTTC speed available.
The letters going out to existing customers may therefore be as selective.
All this complaining? You should try living in our village in N Devon lucky to get 1.5Mb.
The Sky web site is selective. Sky Fibre Max is not offered to me only Sky Fibre Unlimited. Using different addresses those on FTTC may find Sky Broadband suppressed. I also note Sky are being very explicit while ordering what the expected performance will be based dynamically on the specific address.
This is clearly attempting to up-sell the products if the speed can be supported. The letters going out to current customers may be as selective.
Sorry about duplicates. Perhaps MJ can delete. Otherwise apologies.
I’ve had sky fibre and had speed of 35 download then the w max speed l was getting went down to around 22.All they have given me were excuses.l had good deal and was only paying £18 mth they then offered me sky max for extraa £5 month which l took.they promised me speed not below 60.lm still only getting about 25 download.THey have now said that there is only 50 download getting to router.They are now sending out engineer.One other thing they have recently built about 200 new house in our village.
Blimey, didn’t realise Sky had entered the house-building market too 🙂
at the moment i have sky fibre max but moving house next week and sky told me fibre max is not available at the house im moving to so have to go back to fibre unlimited had the standard one before that and was so slow no good to me
Is this away Sky can increase their average speed advertised. Hmmm
Sky have always been crafty how they do the marketing,and selling products to the public,I have normal sky broadband mine at best is 11MBps but goes down to 7MBps very unreliable,I purchased there sound bar last year now I’m in a new 18 month contract which they didn’t tell me at the time.Sky is getting to expensive.
I am a sky broadband pro customer, any idea of the future of this service? Also does anyone know if sky fibre max comes with a static IP address?
No, I used to be on pro and moved to max as it was cheaper for the same speed and this was a stipulation that I would lose it, I never used it anyway
well lm happy, tho l will be checking deals, technically lm still in contract in as far as l check every so often the deals so hopefully my speed goes up more!! 😀
No complaints, I used to be on Pro when you could only order it over the phone, switched to max for more or less the same at a fiver cheaper. I get 7.50 discount off it now too when I renegotiated it so hopefully mine goes down another £3 too
Don’t know why all the fuss, life can be fine without broadband
Technology can never replace being human and knowing each other in person
What a bizarre comment.
However human contact doesn’t allow me to work from home. So the fuss is about something that can enable a better quality of life. Just a thought.
So I take it you don’t watch TV, read newspapers etc, all of which rely on broadband
You don’t use hospitals, which rely on internet connections
You don’t use emergency services which rely on internet connections
You don’t use banks, supermarkets, use a debit card in a corner shop
Yes, everything these days works honkey dorey without it
when i get changed to fibre max, does this meen its the start of a new contract? my existing contract is still on going.
Makes sense based on the openreach incentive that now runs for the next 5 years. There is now little between 40 and 80Mb after the rebates apply.
For comparison, in Spain I was paying €72 (£64) for fibre into my house giving me 600 download and 600 upload. The package included landline with unlimited calls, 2 x mobiles, 1 with 4 gb of data the other with 200 mb.
I’ve recently changed to Orange. It’s o ly 500 Mbs up and down, landline with unlimited calls and mobile with 4gb for €45 for 12 months then €55.For €10 extra I can have 1gbs up and down.
You can largely blame the UK’s wholesale environment and LLU for the difference. In Spain the network operators were largely left to themselves until recently so didn’t have to share revenues with others, leaving more for investment.
Since I can’t get any better than 18Mb will I get a discount? I doubt it. Bye bye Sky, I’ll be off to Gigaclear as soon as it’s live in my village, which will be in a month or two – 300Mb symmetric for the same price as 18/3.5 on a phone line. No contest.
I am back with sky again
Here we go again with the broadband
Was slow and dropping out had 4x sky broadband eng out and 5x openreach eng out also I am only back about with sky 5xwks plus 2xnew routers
Now am getting 72mbps but only 25-35mbps on my phone speed check
Yeah thinking going back to virgin
I ordered fibre unlimited bundle to be switched on 14/9/18 ,TV went active phone went active I still have no broadband have made numerous inquiries with sky they say they are having problems with their systems and can’t hazard a guess when I will be switched on, 23days and counting ,I can only imagine this is due to this policy change
amazed at the negative responses. sky are offering to upgrade you, for free, with no new contract term put in place…
I too got the letter. However there is no technical change necessary. Openreach need to notify Sky that they have completed fibre upgrades into new cabinets. Until this happens nothing sky says with regards to free speed increases will happen. We got a brand new cabinet less than 100m away from our house that went online in April and when we got connected to it automatically by openreach we got an automatic increase from 20mbps to 38mbps on sky ‘s fibre unlimited however not one single isp including BT can offer us anything better than 38mbps with a guaranteed speed of 20mbps. However my neighbour rang and complained about this fact and they had their customary discussion with their manager who agreed to get him switched to fibre max even though it wasn’t showing as available yet. One other thing he told me they are sending a new router which is not necessary so i think they fed him some bull to keep him quiet.