Sky unleashes biggest ever broadband upgrade at a price that BT and Virgin can't match
Sky Broadband has unleashed its fastest-ever speed – with downloads clocking in at 500Mbps. The full-fibre plan costs £45 a month when you sign-up to an 18-month contract. For comparison, BT charges £49.99 a month for 300Mbps, while Virgin Media customers can either pay £56 a month for 350Mbps, or £62 a month for 500Mbps. That makes Sky Broadband comfortably the most affordable option for these speeds.
But that’s not the only advantage of picking Sky over its biggest rivals.
Anyone who signs-up to Sky’s Ultrafast Plus package will be guaranteed download speeds of 400Mbps. Broadband speeds usually fluctuate throughout the day, with speeds on busy streets or estates taking a hit at peak times. Sky Broadband’s Speed Guarantee means you can claim a month’s subscription back if your speed falls below the minimum guaranteed speed.
BT and Virgin Media both offer similar schemes, but neither of these rivals is seemingly as confident in their ability to maintain speeds.
For example, BT’s Full Fibre 300 package only has a speed guarantee of 150Mbps. So, in order to claim from the telecoms giant, you’ll need to be regularly getting less than half of the broadband speed you’re paying for. Yikes. Virgin Media states that its M500 plan will usually deliver between 460 and 551Mbps, which is solid. However, the speed guarantee doesn’t kick-in until you’re getting below 258Mbps for three consecutive days.
If your speeds aren’t up to scratch after 30 days with BT, the company will hand over £20. It will also offer customers the chance to exit their contract without paying a charge for cancelling early. Likewise, Virgin Media has 30 days to resolve the issue. After that, it will also let you walk away and find a deal with a competitor before the end of your contract.
