Gabriel Vanca | August 29th, 2022
Sky Broadband Gigafast brings speeds of 900Mbps and promises to be the no-compromise solution. Not only is Gigafast the perfect choice for gamers and content creators, but it’s the right solution for the busiest homes as well as for those seeking to futureproof their broadband connectivity.
Here’s a quick rundown of Sky’s Broadband Gigafast package:
Price | £53 per month |
---|---|
Download speed | 900Mbps |
Upload speed | 90Mbps |
Broadband | Fibre to the premises (FTTP) |
Home Phone | Line rental included |
Parental controls | Broadband Shield, Broadband Buddy |
Router | Sky Broadband Hub |
Packages available | Broadband & phone, Broadband & phone & TV |
Contract length | 18 months |
Sky’s recently released Broadband Gigafast package delivers download speeds of 900Mbps and upload speeds of 90Mbps, and it is Sky’s long-awaited answer to Virgin Media’s 1130Mbps package, launched in 2019. Whilst Sky still lags slightly behind Virgin when it comes to download speeds, it manages to almost double the Virgin Media's top upload speed, so content creators especially will love this package.
It should be noted that as a full fibre (FTTP) broadband package, Sky Broadband Gigafast availability is extremely limited with only a small percentage of households able to get it.
Here’s a quick rundown of who Sky Broadband Gigafast is mainly for:
Unlike Sky’s entry-level and some of its mid-tier broadband packages, Sky Broadband Gigafast is only available through the newer and faster FTTP technology (where a fast fibre cable, rather than a slower copper one, comes all the way to your property). That means that the availability of this package is significantly reduced to select areas (about a quarter of UK households).
Let’s take a quick look at how Gigafast compares to the other Sky Broadband packages:
Broadband Package | Download Speed | Upload Speed |
---|---|---|
Broadband Essential | 11Mbps | 0.8Mbps |
Broadband Superfast 35 | 36Mbps | 9Mbps |
Broadband Superfast | 59Mbps | 9Mbps |
Broadband Ultrafast | 145Mbps | 27Mbps |
Broadband Ultrafast Plus | 500Mbps | 60Mbps |
Broadband Gigafast | 900Mbps | 100Mbps |
As all major providers, Sky’s packages come with no data quotas or restrictions, though you might expect some impact on your speed due to network congestion during peak hours (8 pm to 10 pm, Monday to Sunday).
Gigafast comes with the Sky Broadband Hub router, one of the more premium routers among the large broadband providers. Counting a total of eight wifi antennae (more than its competitors), the router provides rich wireless coverage throughout your home and a low latency connection.
The Sky Broadband Hub router comes with a set of free tools known as Sky Broadband Shield that provides parental control (Safe Search) and protection against malware-infected and scam (phishing) websites.
This package also comes with Sky Broadband Speed Guarantee as standard, so if the speed of your connection falls below the minimum guaranteed speed (600Mbps), you can claim a full month’s money back.
Not unlike Sky’s other packages, Gigafast is bundled with a free phone line (VoIP). The phone service is pay-as-you-go by default, but Evenings & Weekends, Anytime and International packages are available for a monthly fee.
Sky Broadband Boost is a suite of premium benefits that Sky offers for a small monthly fee. Notable is Sky’s WiFi Guarantee which promises wifi coverage in every room (at least 3Mbps), possibly with the help of a Sky engineer or with the free installation of a Sky WiFi Booster, which extends the wireless coverage of your Hub.
Other Boost benefits include daily speed and reliability checks of the line, free engineer visits and, for Sky Mobile customers, an extra 2GB of mobile data for every unplanned broadband outage that lasts for more than 30 minutes (except at night). Finally, you get the Sky Broadband Buddy, an Android and iOS app which enables you to control how long members of your family use certain mobile apps and enable parental control when your kids are away from home.
In addition to achieving great customer satisfaction and enjoying a reputation as a premium broadband provider, Sky now manages to compete in the gigabit-class broadband market with a robust and well-priced broadband package. Sky Broadband Gigafast comes with a premium router and stunning customer service and can be bundled with Sky’s awesome TV bundles.
While gamers and content creators will love this package the most, Gigafast is perfect for all those who want the best available speed and to future proof their home network.
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