Sky customers grumble over broadband

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From Media Guardian

Sky customers grumble over broadband
Julia Day
Friday September 15, 2006
MediaGuardian.co.uk

BSkyB's newly launched broadband internet service is causing consternation among some customers who have encountered a variety of glitches.

Complaints range from customers who registered weeks ago and have still heard nothing, to those who are connected to the "Max" 16Mb speed package but have a very slow service, and others whose broadband boxes have died after just a few days' use.

Hundreds of disgruntled customers have taken to posting their complaints on internet user websites, such as Digital Spy and Sky User, and have been joined by people who claim to be Sky customer services staff posting anonymously.

One Sky User forum member, "unregistered ex-BT", wrote: "To anyone thinking of moving to Sky. Read the threads on here and the internet and DON'T BOTHER. They haven't got a clue what's going on and as of now I'm a paid Sky TV member and Sky broadband member and I have no broadband and no answers.

"So if you want no broadband, pathetic support, snail like investigations into it all, different answers from all the call centre workers, lies, long phone calls ... then hey, join Sky. But if you think your current service from your ISP is acceptable then stay where you are because Sky are absolutely useless."

A Digital Spy forum user, "sqareeyes", said: "FYI, there is a major problem with the hardware SKY have installed at the exchanges. This information came from a SKY rep who admitted this to my son who has been trying for weeks to get his SKY broadband connection working. He could not confirm when this will be fixed, but it will be weeks or possibly months before they do anything about it ... My advice to anyone who is thinking of getting SKY broadband and hasn't done so yet is WAIT!"

Another Digital Spy user, "Anonymouse91", complained: "Just got connected but have got really slow speeds. I'm signed up to the Max package which is 16Mb but the router is connected to Sky at around 7Mb and a speed test reports it is around 2-4Mb."

One user, whose broadband box failed entirely less than two weeks after installation, was told by the helpline that another box would be sent, and that there had been many calls of a similar nature.

Many Sky customers are complaining about poor customer service, much slower internet connections speeds than advertised and mix-ups in getting broadband activated via BT phone lines, with BT and Sky both blaming each other.

MediaGuardian.co.uk contacted Sky about the complaints, but had not heard back by the time of publication.

Sky launched its broadband service this month for customers who are already signed up to its television service.

Customers could register their interest ahead of the launch in one of three broadband packages - free 2Mb speed/2Gb usage cap; £5 a month 8Mb/40GB cap; and £10 a month 16Mb/unlimited usage.

Earlier this week Sky suspended its film download service and blocked access to some broadband sports clips because of a software security breach, while it waits for Microsoft to upgrade its protection against the hacking software FairUse4WM, which allows users to pirate content.

Almost three-quarters of the UK's internet users are on high-speed broadband connections, according to a recent study by the Office for National Statistics. The country has 10m households using broadband, outstripping the number of old-fashioned dial-up connections by three to one.