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Author Topic: Abandoned Sky Broadband FTTH Network Scooped by Virgin Media  (Read 1462 times)

Bowdon

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https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2019/05/abandoned-ftth-sky-broadband-network-scooped-by-virgin-media.html

Quote
Cable operator Virgin Media UK has confirmed to ISPreview.co.uk that they’ve wisely “taken over” rival ISP Sky Broadband’s 1Gbps Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) network in Swandicote (Derbyshire), which was originally built as part of a trial and is believed to have covered up to 5,000 local homes.

When it comes to broadcasting TV over a subscription service Sky in my opinion is the number one. But when it comes to broadband they seem to be the company with the best potential but the worst management. They abandoned the people of Swandicote after laying down 1Gbps fast service, I think they did the same in York? They was the biggest protestors against OR, always trying to get others to make their networks available to them for free, and when they had a chance to be the rival to OR (as Sky is probably the richest rival to OR) they bottled it and we had to wait for CityFibre to come in and shake up the market.

Why are Sky so incapable of running a FTTP service? Even if they had a division that partly did like Hyperoptic does in new builds, or flats, that would be something.

It just seems very odd that Sky is one of the big players in the broadband market yet have done nothing. Ironically its been left to the smaller players like talktalk and vodafone to help encourage the network builders onwards. Just seems odd.

I briefly went on to the Sky ADSL2 service when I got moved from Be years ago. My line immediately became unstable and stayed that way until I moved to BT (and upgraded to Fibre, why Sky couldnt have offered me the fibre upgrade is another mystery. Apparently they were only offering 'some people' upgrades and the majority of everyone else were just transfered to an old network they had previously acquired.).

What are other peoples feelings on Sky broadband?
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Chrysalis

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Re: Abandoned Sky Broadband FTTH Network Scooped by Virgin Media
« Reply #1 on: May 16, 2019, 02:00:54 PM »

I think with sky they entered the broadband market as a means to retain TV customers, so was never a primary focus for them.

However ironically they didnt do it the cheapest way possible from a capital cost of point of view, they brought an entire isp (easynet) to gain a national network, and were the only big player during the dark adsl max days to have unlimited usage unshaped traffic (largely uncongested as well).  (not on sky access tho).  Also they enabled g.inp on ADSL in their LLU exchanges, several years before openreach VDSL seen it.  Also makes a mockery of the fact UK ECI VDSL doesnt have it.

In recent years tho I have an opinion they have been cutting back on expenses, probably to max the sale value to comcast.  Football as a profit making machine I think the days are numbered, so sky are in limbo land in my view.  I dont have much faith in comcast to invest either.

Talktalk is just as big a player as sky, and probably when you factor in that they wholesale their network then are probably a bigger player.

Vodafone I consider a bigger player because they are a large established mobile telco, that is a much much bigger and stabler foundation than EPL football rights, which are not a physical asset.  Sky's assets is basically the easynet network and some LLU equipment.  They even rent not own their satellites.

To put into perspective, BT once they decided to compete on TV were able to setup the operation very quickly in a year or two.  Sky would never be able to duplicate what BT have in terms of assets in that time.  The movie companies also are moving away from the type of deals that allow sky movies to work, the future is looking dodgy for sky and if I had shares I would be selling them up.
« Last Edit: May 16, 2019, 02:09:06 PM by Chrysalis »
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shambly

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Re: Abandoned Sky Broadband FTTH Network Scooped by Virgin Media
« Reply #2 on: May 16, 2019, 05:15:40 PM »

I've been a Sky subscriber for over 20 years but unless Sky start selling Openreach FTTP very soon then this will be coming to an end...

Sky can only offer 2.9Mbit/s over FTTC, BT's (from whom we buy our FTTP) TV offering is inadequate, but Virgin Media are coming.

I'm not sure VM's DOCSIS offering is quite as good as FTTP but it IS good enough. And their TV offering and box looks pretty good too.

And we'll save money buying phone, broadband, TV, and possibly Mobile from a single vendor.



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burakkucat

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Re: Abandoned Sky Broadband FTTH Network Scooped by Virgin Media
« Reply #3 on: May 16, 2019, 06:08:58 PM »

My feeling is that the business name "Sky" is tainted with the family name "Murdock".  :-X
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niemand

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Re: Abandoned Sky Broadband FTTH Network Scooped by Virgin Media
« Reply #4 on: May 17, 2019, 04:55:46 PM »

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2019/05/abandoned-ftth-sky-broadband-network-scooped-by-virgin-media.html

When it comes to broadcasting TV over a subscription service Sky in my opinion is the number one. But when it comes to broadband they seem to be the company with the best potential but the worst management.

Why are Sky so incapable of running a FTTP service? Even if they had a division that partly did like Hyperoptic does in new builds, or flats, that would be something.

It just seems very odd that Sky is one of the big players in the broadband market yet have done nothing.

Not so odd. They lease satellite transponders, they don't own their own.

They don't want to have to manage access network infrastructure. Their business is supplying content and anything other than the infrastructure required to deliver that expediently isn't on their priority list.

They'd perhaps do a Vodafone and be an anchor tenant for a build, and I've little doubt they'll be committing to sell a certain amount of units to Openreach, expect Openreach to offer volume discounts on FTTP this year, but building their own isn't likely. Not impossible, especially given their new owners, but not likely. Comcast seem far more interested in the content side.
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