Latest news with #FullFibre
Scottish Sun
09-07-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Sky overtakes Virgin Media with ‘Britain's FASTEST broadband package' – exact price for top speed & cheaper alternative
Does your household even need these kinds of speeds? Read our analysis below Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SKY has launched an eye-wateringly fast new broadband service overtaking its arch rival Virgin Media. The telecoms giant claims it now has the UK's fastest broadband speeds from any major provider in the country. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 New service is available to some 4.5million premises now Credit: Sky Millions of households will have access to new Full Fibre 2.5 Gigafast+ and Full Fibre 5 Gigafast+ packages. The fastest of the two can download an entire 4K movie in as little as 45 seconds. It'll come with a new hub router - Sky's most advanced yet - that's capable of handling the huge speed boost. The service utilises CityFibre's network instead of Openreach, which is currently available to some 4.5million premises. CityFibre - which signed a deal with Sky last year - aims to eventually cover eight million homes. Sky will continue to offer services using Openreach's network, whose Full Fibre network reaches about 25 million premises at present. "We're proud to be setting a new standard in UK broadband. With speeds up to 5 Gbps, our new Full Fibre Gigafast+ packages make Sky the UK's fastest major broadband provider," said Sophia Ahmad, Chief Consumer Officer at Sky. "Combined with our existing full fibre range, we're offering more choice than ever before. "Powered by cutting-edge WiFi 7 technology, these plans deliver smarter, faster, and more reliable connectivity to homes across the country." But the new gigabit packages don't come cheap. Soaring temperatures could affect your Wi-Fi, experts warn – how to stop your router overheating & avoid speed slow down Full Fibre 2.5 Gigafast+ starts at £70 per month, while Full Fibre 5 Gigafast+ with WiFi Max starts from £80 per month. However, bosses tell The Sun that bundle deals with Sky Glass and Sky Sports could launch in future. "Sky is making the most of CityFibre's full fibre network to offer its customers fast and reliable Multi-Gig speeds and an outstanding online experience," said Greg Mesch, CEO of CityFibre. "This partnership is bringing more choice and better broadband to millions of homes on CityFibre's nationwide, growing network – vital for how people live today and helping to deliver a healthy, competitive market for the long-term."
The Irish Sun
09-07-2025
- Business
- The Irish Sun
Sky overtakes Virgin Media with ‘Britain's FASTEST broadband package' – exact price for top speed & cheaper alternative
SKY has launched an eye-wateringly fast new broadband service overtaking its arch rival Virgin Media. The telecoms giant claims it now has the UK's fastest broadband speeds from any major provider in the country. 1 New service is available to some 4.5million premises now Credit: Sky Millions of households will have access to new Full Fibre 2.5 Gigafast+ and Full Fibre 5 Gigafast+ packages. The fastest of the two can download an entire 4K movie in as little as 45 seconds. It'll come with a new hub router - Sky's most advanced yet - that's capable of handling the huge speed boost. The service utilises CityFibre's network instead of Openreach, which is currently available to some 4.5million premises. Read more about Sky CityFibre - which Sky will continue to offer services using "We're proud to be setting a new standard in UK broadband. With speeds up to 5 Gbps, our new Full Fibre Gigafast+ packages make Sky the UK's fastest major broadband provider," said Sophia Ahmad, Chief Consumer Officer at Sky. "Combined with our existing full fibre range, we're offering more choice than ever before. Most read in Tech "Powered by cutting-edge WiFi 7 technology, these plans deliver smarter, faster, and more reliable connectivity to homes across the country." But the new gigabit packages don't come cheap. Soaring temperatures could affect your Wi-Fi, experts warn – how to stop your router overheating & avoid speed slow down Full Fibre 2.5 Gigafast+ starts at £70 per month, while Full Fibre 5 Gigafast+ with WiFi Max starts from £80 per month. However, bosses tell The Sun that bundle deals with "Sky is making the most of CityFibre's full fibre network to offer its customers fast and reliable Multi-Gig speeds and an outstanding online experience," said Greg Mesch, CEO of CityFibre. "This partnership is bringing more choice and better broadband to millions of homes on CityFibre's nationwide, growing network – vital for how people live today and helping to deliver a healthy, competitive market for the long-term." A GIG TOO FAR? Analysis by Jamie Harris, Assistant Technology and Science Editor at The Sun 5 Gbps is a whooper - but will most households really need it? It really depends on how many people live under the same roof and how many devices you're all using. For most people, you probably won't need 5 Gbps just yet. But as we become more reliant on broadband - with everything from 4K TV streaming, to video calls and high quality gaming - some households may not be far off needing it. However, the
The Sun
09-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Sky overtakes Virgin Media with ‘Britain's FASTEST broadband package' – exact price for top speed & cheaper alternative
SKY has launched an eye-wateringly fast new broadband service overtaking its arch rival Virgin Media. The telecoms giant claims it now has the UK's fastest broadband speeds from any major provider in the country. 1 Millions of households will have access to new Full Fibre 2.5 Gigafast+ and Full Fibre 5 Gigafast+ packages. The fastest of the two can download an entire 4K movie in as little as 45 seconds. It'll come with a new hub router - Sky 's most advanced yet - that's capable of handling the huge speed boost. The service utilises CityFibre's network instead of Openreach, which is currently available to some 4.5million premises. CityFibre - which signed a deal with Sky last year - aims to eventually cover eight million homes. Sky will continue to offer services using Openreach 's network, whose Full Fibre network reaches about 25 million premises at present. "We're proud to be setting a new standard in UK broadband. With speeds up to 5 Gbps, our new Full Fibre Gigafast+ packages make Sky the UK's fastest major broadband provider," said Sophia Ahmad, Chief Consumer Officer at Sky. "Combined with our existing full fibre range, we're offering more choice than ever before. "Powered by cutting-edge WiFi 7 technology, these plans deliver smarter, faster, and more reliable connectivity to homes across the country." But the new gigabit packages don't come cheap. Soaring temperatures could affect your Wi-Fi, experts warn – how to stop your router overheating & avoid speed slow down Full Fibre 2.5 Gigafast+ starts at £70 per month, while Full Fibre 5 Gigafast+ with WiFi Max starts from £80 per month. However, bosses tell The Sun that bundle deals with Sky Glass and Sky Sports could launch in future. "Sky is making the most of CityFibre's full fibre network to offer its customers fast and reliable Multi-Gig speeds and an outstanding online experience," said Greg Mesch, CEO of CityFibre. "This partnership is bringing more choice and better broadband to millions of homes on CityFibre's nationwide, growing network – vital for how people live today and helping to deliver a healthy, competitive market for the long-term." A GIG TOO FAR? Analysis by Jamie Harris, Assistant Technology and Science Editor at The Sun 5 Gbps is a whooper - but will most households really need it? It really depends on how many people live under the same roof and how many devices you're all using. For most people, you probably won't need 5 Gbps just yet. But as we become more reliant on broadband - with everything from 4K TV streaming, to video calls and high quality gaming - some households may not be far off needing it. However, the Wi-Fi 7 hub is a more pressing upgrade, allowing your router to better connect to devices and avoid those annoying interference.
Daily Mirror
10-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Sky vs Virgin as free iPad and cheapest ever TV deal up for grabs
TV writer Jake Hackney has taken a closer look at Sky and Virgin's latest round of TV and broadband deals, with Brits able to get their hands on free iPads and supercharged fibre broadband Sky and Virgin Media have gone head to head this month with rival TV and broadband deals, offering Brits a mixture of price drops and free gadgets. To kick off the summer, Sky has brought back a popular deal that's seen its flagship TV and broadband package return to a record low price and is doubling its broadband speeds. But over at Virgin, shoppers can get their hands on a free Apple iPad if they're quick. Both options certainly are tempting, but they have some major differences that means choosing a plan could prove tricky. There's also a huge price difference, but with the extra monthly cost comes a host of extras. So with this in mind, we've taken a closer look at each deal, breaking down what's included and what's not. Read on for a breakdown of Sky and Virgin's latest deals. Sky's 'lowest price is back' Sky's latest round of deals brings back a price drop that proved hugely popular during the brand's Easter sale. Leading the pack is Sky's Essential TV and Full Fibre 300 broadband plan, now £35 per month and with 300Mbps fibre broadband for the price of 150Mbps. Shoppers also have the option to upgrade to the £39 Ultimate TV and Full Fibre 300 broadband plan, which includes more than 35 extra channels. Both options include more than 100 channels, with favourites like Sky Atlantic allowing members to catch the latest HBO blockbusters like The Last of Us and The White Lotus. They also include free Netflix Standard with Ads and Discovery+ subscriptions, with the option to add Sky Cinema and Sky Sports for an extra £10 and £20 respectively. This 24-month plan comes with a Sky Stream puck, the brand's new way to watch TV that plugs straight into a TV's HDMI port, eliminating the need for a satellite dish. Keep in mind that, like most providers, Sky increases its prices each April as inflation rises, with prices this year already up an average of 6.2% from 2024. This suggests we may see a similar rise next year, but what separates Sky from many rivals is the option to terminate a contract early should a price rise be announced. Brits switching to Sky now benefit from the One Touch Switch scheme, meaning customers don't have to contact their existing broadband provider to complete the switch as Sky will do all the work on their behalf. Sky has not set an end date for these deals. Virgin dishes out free iPads To tempt customers away from Sky, Virgin Media is giving away free iPads with its latest deal, but the deadline to claim it is fast approaching. Until 11.59pm on Wednesday, June 11, shoppers signing up for Virgin's Mega Volt bundle will receive an iPad Cellular 64GB (9th Gen) model. Priced at £88.99 per month, this package is certainly more pricey than Sky, but it comes with much more. As well as a free iPad, the Mega Volt bundle offers more than 230 TV channels, including Sky Sports and Sky Cinema, 1,130Mbps fibre broadband and a Netflix Standard with Ads subscription. It also comes with an O2 SIM card with unlimited data – ideal for popping into the iPad. One potential downside of the plan is that Sky Atlantic is not included, so many of the latest series like The Last of Us and The White Lotus won't be available. Another thing to note is that the iPad isn't the latest model but Apple's 2021 edition. It would cost around £200 if bought separately, so those considering signing up purely for the iPad may want to shop around for newer models like Amazon 's deal on the latest iPad A16. One thing that stands out in Virgin's contracts is that they are far shorter than Sky, running for 18 months instead of 24, so members are free to shop around sooner. This plan also includes the One Touch Switch service, plus Virgin's WiFi guarantee, offering members minimum download speeds of 30Mbps in every room or £100 back. Customers can also choose a subscription service like Disney+, Amazon's Prime Video or Audible free for six months as an O2 Extra. In terms of the April price rise, Virgin adjusts its prices in pounds and pence rather than a percentage and has already confirmed the Mega Volt bundle will increase to £94.29 from April 2026, so bear this in mind before signing up.
Glasgow Times
08-06-2025
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Openreach urges Cumbernauld homes to upgrade broadband
More than 13,000 homes and businesses in Cumbernauld are eligible to upgrade to Openreach's Full Fibre network, but only a fraction have made the switch. Despite a £3.9 million investment and coverage reaching more than half of the town, just over one in five properties have upgraded. (Image: Supplied) Read more: New Glasgow letting agent aims to manage 1,000 properties in two years Robert Thorburn, Openreach's partnership director for Scotland, said: "Fast and reliable full fibre broadband gives households and businesses a significant boost. "As the UK's leading provider of fibre infrastructure, Openreach is at the forefront of the digital transformation, connecting communities all over the UK and future-proofing the network for decades to come. "Our extensive network – the largest in the UK – means residents can shop around and find the best deals that suit their needs. "But it's important to remember that upgrades don't happen automatically. "People need to order it to take advantage of the technology." The uptake challenge extends beyond Cumbernauld, with neighbouring areas such as Shotts, Cambusnethan, and Greengairs also lagging behind in adoption. Across North Lanarkshire, more than 85,000 properties now have access to Full Fibre. The technology is said to provide" gigabit-capable speeds", which allows multiple devices to connect simultaneously without slowing down. Mr Thorburn said many eligible residents might not realise they need to actively request an upgrade. He said: "It's important to remember that upgrades don't happen automatically. "People need to order it to take advantage of the technology." (Image: Supplied) Read more: Meet the Glasgow pupil who raised hundreds of pounds to buy a life-saving device Openreach says Full Fibre is suited to streaming, gaming, video calls, online banking, and business operations. The company also notes that newer broadband packages are increasingly competitively priced, with some customers potentially paying the same or less than their current bills. Openreach's Full Fibre network currently reaches more than 18 million properties across the UK. The company aims to expand this to 25 million by the end of 2026 and believes it could reach 30 million by 2030 with the right investment conditions. Residents can check their eligibility using Openreach's online Full Fibre checker.
