SKY BROADBAND HISTORY
BELIEVE IN BETTER INTERNET
THE SATELLITE GIANT GOES DIGITAL
For decades, Sky was synonymous with the satellite dish on the side of your house. But the real revolution happened quietly over the telephone lines. Sky Broadband transformed from a simple add-on for TV customers into one of the UK’s biggest broadband providers (consistently in the top three). From buying Easynet to the rollout of full fibre, this is how Sky changed the game.
2005: THE FOUNDATION (EASYNET)
Before Sky sold a single broadband connection, they needed a network. In October 2005, BSkyB made a strategic move that confused many analysts at the time: they bought Easynet for £211 million.
| COMPANY | THE ASSET | THE STRATEGY |
|---|---|---|
| BSkyB | Deep pockets & TV user base | Wanted to stop customers leaving for cable TV/broadband bundles. |
| Easynet | LLU Infrastructure | They had equipment in BT exchanges, allowing Sky to bypass BT Wholesale prices. |
WHY LLU MATTERED
Local Loop Unbundling (LLU) was the key. By owning the kit in the telephone exchange, Sky could control the price and speed. This infrastructure is what allowed them to launch their disruptive "Free Broadband" offer just a year later.
2006: "SEE, SPEAK, SURF"
In July 2006, Sky officially launched its broadband service with a campaign that shook the industry: "See, Speak, Surf." The premise was simple but revolutionary: if you were a Sky TV subscriber, you could get basic broadband for free (base tier).
| YEAR | MILESTONE | IMPACT |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 1 Million Customers | Achieved in just over a year, faster than any analyst predicted. |
| 2010 | The Sagemcom Era | Sky moved away from generic Netgear routers to their own branded Sagemcom units. |
| 2012 | Fibre Launch | Sky finally launched Fibre Broadband (FTTC) using Openreach VDSL. |
- Truly unlimited data (eventually standard)
- UK-based call centres (a major selling point later on)
- Seamless integration with Sky TV bundles
- Early routers (Sagemcom F@ST) were basic
- Relied heavily on BT Openreach copper lines
- Upload speeds lagged behind cable (Virgin)
2013: BUYING O2 & BE BROADBAND
In 2013, Sky solidified its position as the primary challenger to BT by acquiring the consumer broadband businesses of O2 and BE Broadband for £180m upfront, plus £20m after customers were transferred.
This was significant because BE Broadband was known for having "pro" users and high technical standards. Sky migrated O2/Be customers onto Sky’s services/network (LLU where available, and Openreach-based services elsewhere), adding roughly 400,000 broadband subscribers (around 500,000 customers including broadband/phone) and expanding their LLU footprint to cover the majority of UK households (around the low-80% range at the time, with plans to push higher).
2018: THE COMCAST ERA
Following a fierce bidding war with Disney and Fox, the US telecommunications giant Comcast acquired Sky plc in 2018 for about £30.6bn. While the branding remained British, the backing became American.
SKY GLASS & STREAM
Under Comcast's ownership, Sky began to shift its entire business model away from the satellite dish. The launch of Sky Glass (a TV streaming over WiFi) and Sky Stream meant that a robust broadband connection became more important to Sky than the satellite signal itself.
SKY HUB EVOLUTION
Sky's hardware journey has gone from basic white boxes to sophisticated mesh systems.
| MODEL | YEAR | THE VERDICT |
|---|---|---|
| Sky Hub (SR101) | 2012 | The classic white/grey box. Reliable for ADSL but struggled with fibre speeds. |
| Sky Q Hub (ER110) | 2016 | Sleek, black, and flat. Designed to work with Sky Q boxes as mesh repeaters. A design icon but lacked range. |
| Sky Broadband Hub (SR203) | 2019 | The vertical black box. Drastically improved WiFi range and added VOIP support for the digital switchover. |
| Sky Max Hub (SR213) | 2023 | The new white tower. Introduced WiFi 6 and advanced app controls. |
WIFI MAX & THE GUARANTEE
In recent years, Sky has shifted focus from just speed to "wall-to-wall" coverage. The launch of the WiFi Max add-on was a direct response to mesh systems. It includes a WiFi Guarantee (e.g., 25Mbps minimum WiFi speed in every room on Ultrafast/Full Fibre tiers; lower on Superfast), or money back if Sky can’t fix it. This marked a shift towards premium, managed WiFi services rather than just providing a pipe to the house.
FULL FIBRE & THE FUTURE
Sky is currently in the middle of a massive migration from copper (FTTC) to Full Fibre (FTTP), utilising the Openreach network. This allows for speeds of up to 900Mbps on standard full-fibre tiers, and up to 2.5Gbps/5Gbps (Gigafast+) in selected CityFibre areas.
[Image of fibre optic cable cross section]| ERA | KEY TECHNOLOGY | DETAILS |
|---|---|---|
| THE PAST | ADSL / LLU | Click for info on the copper days. |
| THE TRANSITION | FTTC / SoGEA | Fibre to the cabinet. |
| THE FUTURE | Full Fibre (FTTP) | Fibre right to the home. |
THE ROAD TO 2030
DIGITAL VOICE & CITYFIBRE?
The PSTN switch-off is now scheduled for 31 January 2027, and providers are moving customers to digital voice/Internet Calls ahead of that. Sky has signed a long-term partnership with CityFibre, with Sky Full Fibre rolling out on CityFibre’s network from 2025 (alongside Openreach coverage).
- Over 6 million broadband customers
- Full fibre is available to around 78% of UK residential premises (gigabit-capable around 87%), though availability varies by network and provider.
- WiFi 6 becoming standard via Max Hub
- Streaming TV overtaking satellite
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHO OWNS SKY BROADBAND?
Sky is owned by Comcast, the American telecommunications conglomerate, which acquired Sky plc in 2018. However, the broadband network in the UK primarily runs on Openreach infrastructure.
WHAT HAPPENED TO SKY'S SATELLITE DISH?
While satellite service still exists, Sky is actively moving customers to broadband-based TV (Sky Stream and Sky Glass). This makes having a reliable Sky Broadband connection more critical than ever.
CAN I USE MY OLD SKY HUB?
The older white Sky Hubs (SR101) and the flat Sky Q hubs are now considered legacy hardware. For Full Fibre (FTTP) connections, you generally need the upright Sky Broadband Hub (SR203) or the white WiFi Max Hub (SR213) to handle the speeds.
SUMMARY: BEYOND THE DISH
Sky Broadband has come a long way from being a "free" perk for TV subscribers. Through smart acquisitions like Easynet and O2, and the backing of Comcast, they have evolved into a true fibre powerhouse. With the shift to Sky Glass, their broadband is now the heart of the entire Sky ecosystem.