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Sky launched its Broadband Ultrafast package at the end of 2020, promising download speeds of up to 12 times faster than the companys standard broadband offering. Below, well run through everything you need to know about the plan.
First, whether youre able to tap into Sky Broadband Ultrafast depends on the infrastructure of where you live and if you’re willing to put up with its very poor service.
The internet service provider received just two stars out of five in our most recent Sky Broadband review, posting the worst reliability and speed scores in our annual survey of thousands of customers. Whats more, its prices are often higher than other, far better, rivals such as Plusnet, Sky-owned Now Broadband and Three. In the words of our broadband expert, Barry Collins: theres very little to recommend in Skys broadband service.
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However, if youre dead-set on sticking with Sky or its potentially the only provider in your area, theres a simple checker on the companys website, where you can pop in your postcode and find out whether your home supports Sky Broadband Ultrafast.If it does, youll be able to sign up for an estimated download speed of up to 151Mbits/sec and an estimated upload speed of up to 32Mbits/sec. In real-world terms, that should be enough bandwidth for a house with lots of devices using the connection at the same time.
Note that you also might be able to access Sky’s top Gigafast package, which nabs you an estimated upload speed of up to a gargantuan 900Mbits/sec and an upload rate of 90Mbits/sec. This currently costs £42/mth, with £5 upfront, on an 18-month contract.
In terms of price, Sky Broadband Ultrafast will set you back £29/mth on an 18-month contract, with nothing to pay upfront at the moment. To put this into perspective, Sky’s basic Superfast Broadband 35 plan costs £27/mth, with no setup fee, for 18 months. This package promises average download speeds of 36Mbits/sec.
Theres another caveat, though: the prices above may change during your contract. Unlike certain other internet service providers, Sky hasnt tied its mid-contract rises to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rate of inflation so theoretically they wont be as substantial as its rivals hikes, but its something to bear in mind before signing up.
Elsewhere, Sky Broadband Ultrafast also comes with a Speed Guarantee, which means you’ll get a refund if your download speed falls below a specified threshold. To quote from Skys small print:
We guarantee that if your speed falls below your Guaranteed Minimum Download Speed (thats the speed we told you when you got your broadband) for at least three days in a row in a 30-day period, then well give you money back. You need to be within your minimum term but can claim up to twice.
But Sky hasnt finished with the promises yet: its Wall to Wall WiFi Guarantee comes as standard and means, in the words of the companys website: if you are not receiving 3Mbits/sec in every room, you will be eligible for one month of your Sky Broadband subscription credited back to your Sky account. This, in our opinion, is far from impressive as 3Mbits/sec is just about enough for browsing the web or standard-definition Netflix, if youre lucky.
And that more or less sums up how we feel about Skys Broadband Ultrafast plan overall: if its the only provider in your neck of the woods, you might be able to make it work but if it isnt, we recommend steering well clear and going for one of the best broadband providers instead.
