Sky UK Rebrand ISP Packages – Hints at Ultrafast Broadband Plans UPDATED

UK ISP Sky Broadband (Comcast) will today rebrand their existing range of ADSL2+ and FTTC based broadband and phone packages. On top of that they’ll be introducing some new add-ons and the information suggests that they’re preparing to launch three new “ultrafast broadband” plans (150Mbps upwards).

At present Sky sells two primary packages to consumers using their LLU and Openreach based network, Sky Broadband Unlimited (11Mbps – ADSL2+) and Sky Fibre Max (59Mbps – FTTC / VDSL2+). Some other packages do also exist under the hood, but these two are the ones that Sky Broadband tends to widely promote.

However the forthcoming arrival of Sky’s new “Ultrafast” (100Mbps+) speed plans, which as we’ve previously reported will make use of FTTP and possibly also G.fast technology via Openreach’s (BT) national network (here and here), means that the ISP needs to refresh their line-up and we now know what this will look like.

Firstly, Sky Broadband’s entry-level Sky Broadband Unlimited (ADSL2+) service will be rebranded to Sky Broadband Essential, while Sky Fibre Max is to become Sky Broadband Superfast (both 40Mbps and 80Mbps FTTC tiers will be sold under this title) and in the near future we’re going to get the new Sky Broadband Ultrafast plans (three FTTP / G.fast tiers will fall under this giving max rates of 160Mbps, 330Mbps and 1Gbps (e.g. the 160Mbps tier will be promoted as 150Mbps average)).

Plus, for an additional +£2.50 per month on an 18 month contract (£5 thereafter), customers will now be able to add Sky Broadband Boost and this includes the following features (see below).

Sky Broadband Boost Features (+£2.50)

Broadband Buddy – Customers can manage their family’s screen time in & out of their home via the Sky Buddy app (iOS and Android); even “pause the internet” (may explain their recent DNS shenanigans). The app allows parents to monitor family online internet usage, including internet history. It also includes location tracking. Parents will be notified on their own device if children uninstall Sky Buddy.

Proactive Service – Sky will find & fix broadband issues so customers don’t have to.

Premium Service Visits – Flexible engineer visits to suit customers; even evenings or weekends.

Mobile Data for outages – If broadband cuts out, Sky will put 2GB in the customer’s Sky Mobile account free of charge.

At launch Sky said they will auto-add the Boost to all their broadband packages (e.g. initial prices will be £22.50 for Essential and £29.50 for Superfast), which we assume only applies to new customers (checking now). We understand this add-on will in the future become optional.

Finally, there’s also a new Sky Broadband WiFi Optimisation service being launched (costing either £120 per year or £12 per month for 10 months). When taking this a Sky Tech Team expert will visit the customer’s home, to adjust the configuration of the Sky equipment and provide any additional equipment needed to ensure excellent WiFi in every corner of their home.

Stephen van Rooyen, CEO of Sky UK & Ireland, said:

“At Sky, we connect families to content they love so it is our responsibility to make sure they can do this safely. Sky Broadband Buddy is an easy way to manage and monitor children’s internet usage, and pausing the internet is a great way to ensure you can enjoy family time free from screen time – for both children and adults!”

Now if you read our earlier version of this article (i.e. you were up very early) then you will have been lucky enough to see Sky’s illustration showing their new ultrafast plans, albeit without much detail. The fact these are coming is not new (reported on it several times) but sadly we’re not allowed to show that image again, even though it didn’t hold any surprises. Sorry folks. We’ve asked Sky to sort out their messaging.