Sky offers 'free' broadband to 'all' its TV subscribers

[Bob Crabtree]

Sky is hoping to change for ever the UK broadband internet market. Whether it will do that with the promise of a "free" service for its satellite-TV subscribers remains to be seen.

The service offers download/upload speeds of up to 2Mb/400Kb, a free wireless ADSL router and a year's free subscription to McAfee Security Suite.

This is subject to a 2GB monthly-usage cap and subscribers will need to lash out at least £40 for an activation fee and might need to spend a further £50 if opting for "professional" rather than DIY installation.

More in this HEXUS.headline.

[Spud1]

Looks like a good deal It's LLU so thats a pain, but for the price you can't go wrong.

Seriously looking into this for next year in our house, as we're not going with NTL again...don't plan on revisiting hell for another ooh 80 years or so

[ctid]

This looks like a great deal. Am I right in thinking that if I went for the 16mb option, I don't have to pay the initial £90?

Also, what is LLU? I live 50 yards away from a BT exchange so I'm guessing I'll be able to get the full 16mb.

[Lee H]

Local loop unbundling (LLU) is the process of allowing telecommunications operators to use the twisted-pair telephone connections from the telephone exchange's central office to the customer premises. This local loop is owned by the incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC).

For more see the following link ;

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=X&sta...oop_unbundling

[Bob Crabtree]

This looks like a great deal. Am I right in thinking that if I went for the 16mb option, I don't have to pay the initial £90?

Correct.

So, you'd be paying a tenner a month for 16Mb down and 768Kb - with no connection or activation fees and with a combined wired/wireless ADSL modem thrown in free.

So, presumably, that is the deal that Sky is expecting most people to opt for.

However, you need to know that if Sky hasn't got its kit in the telephone exchange to which you connect, then you'll only be able to have the slower and more expensive £17 per month "Connect" package.

[dangel]

usage limit too low for me - and i'll never see LLU for a decade

Guess i'm stuck then

[Parm]

Looks like a very good deal! Paying them £52 a month might finally have some rewards.

[Bob Crabtree]

I've just updated the story in a number of key areas.

Some but not all of these are reflected in changes I've also made to the seed posting.

[Norky]

Give em a few months to prove themselves and I'll be switching

[MiLaMber]

Sounds tempting, im currently wih Bulldog so my exchange is LLU enabled, not sure if Sky have got their eqmt in it yet though.
Somewhat concerned about the"Fair usage policy" for the 16 Meg connection, as it was Plusnets fair usage policy which drove me to leave them for Bulldog in the 1st place.
Admittedly Bulldogs cust service sucks, but the totally uncapped service is great.

Also, you are tied into a 12 month contract with Sky broadband, which is another big no-no for me.
I wonder how many Hexus posters like 12 month contracts?

[Parm]

The 12 month contract is certainly a big downside for me. I wouldn't be an early adopter, I'd have to see how other people fair with the service before I'd sign up.

[Mike Fishcake]

I may just be a tool, but I can't find their 'fair usage policy' anywhere....

[Spud1]

The 12 month contract is certainly a big downside for me. I wouldn't be an early adopter, I'd have to see how other people fair with the service before I'd sign up.

Fair point about teh 12 month contract, but it can't be any worse than NTL can it

[Noli]

fair usage is important to me too as have Be 24 Mbit in 1 flat and Bulldog 8 Mbit (soon to be discontinued (rented out)) in another. And with downloading DVDs (4.5 Gb each) and some hi-def films (25-30 Gb each!) regularly, I think I'd come down on the wrong side of their fair usage definition...
(and again, that would make the 12 month contract bad)

[dangel]

Can't find their FUP anywhere...

[Bob Crabtree]

The 12 month contract is certainly a big downside for me. I wouldn't be an early adopter, I'd have to see how other people fair with the service before I'd sign up.

I particularly like the line I've seen in some of Sky's promotional material saying something like, "And no 18-month contracts" - as though there were no fixed-term contract at all.