Sky Broadband?

ninjaBob

I've been told that Sky are going to start offering Broadband Services at the end of the month in Ireland. Does anyone know of any truth to this?

This came from a sales guy at a Sky Booth, so I don't hold much faith in it. Anyone know?

jor el

If Sky were entering the market in the next 2 weeks, there'd be more than rumour at a sales booth to back it up. Sky will not enter the broadband market here until it's cost effective to do so. Right now, that's not the case.

Scoffeymonster

Please say this is true!

I'm in one of the NBS areas served by Three, which is utter muck! Sky Broadband can gets speeds of up to 20 MPS in Uk, I don't see any barriers to getting the same here....

Cost effectiveness? I can't see this being a barrier either, especially since the Satelite is already set up.

dave1982

ky keeps broadband on hold for Irish market.
Sky has not ruled out entering the broadband market in Ireland, but will keep plans to roll out its Sky Broadband product here on ice until significant changes are seen in the market. Sky broadband is currently only available in UK. For the latest offers from Sky TV visit Sky TV

Across Britain and Ireland, combined, Sky now reaches just under ten million households. It is understood that Sky is reluctant to launch its broadband offering in Ireland until internet penetration improves here and more movement is made by Eircom on the local loop unbundling issue. The company would have to avail of another company’s network to push its offering and does not want to dilute what it sees as the high-quality service it already provides here.

However, one product due for residential launch in the second half of this year is Sky’s 3DTV offering, which was tried out in eight pubs in Britain and Ireland for yesterday’s showing of the Arsenal/Manchester United match

http://www.skybroadbandireland.com/skybroadband-ireland.php

Cabaal

Scoffeymonster wrote: »

Please say this is true!

I'm in one of the NBS areas served by Three, which is utter muck! Sky Broadband can gets speeds of up to 20 MPS in Uk, I don't see any barriers to getting the same here....

Cost effectiveness? I can't see this being a barrier either, especially since the Satelite is already set up.

Don't hold your breath to long or you'll end up dead

If Three are the only provider in your area then even if Sky did roll out Broadband in Ireland you'll likely never seen it for atleast 10-15 years.

Sky do indeed provide fast Broadband in the UK but its only via LLU exchanges, compared to Talk Talk Group Sky don't have many LLU enabled exchanges as far as I'm aware off hand.

Cost affect is a very real barrier, it costs about £50,000 to unbundle a exchange for LLU (full LLU) in the UK. If eircom won't even enable a exchange for Broadband then Sky will have 0% interest.

That I guarantee

As for barriers for getting 20MB in Ireland...lets see
- crap line quality would be one and a major factor
- Population is more spread out
- The fact they won't enable rural exchanges for LLU to begin with

If Sky do enter the Irish Broadband market I'd imagine they'll do so by buying existing providers, that what they did in the UK when they bought Easynet. They'd be idiots to start with no existing company.

watty

Every year Sky visits all the major ISPs, tips over the rocks, looks at the insects scurrying away and goes away again.

The only ISP that gives Sky enough coverage is eircom. Too much debt and deadwood.
They can't buy UPC

They'd have to buy at least Magnet, Imagine and Digiweb. Or maybe at least Magnet, Digiweb and vodafone/BT dsl + LLU business.

So probably not happening this year.

jor el

Scoffeymonster wrote: »

Please say this is true!

I'd be 99.9999999% sure this is not true.

Scoffeymonster wrote: »

I'm in one of the NBS areas served by Three, which is utter muck! Sky Broadband can gets speeds of up to 20 MPS in Uk, I don't see any barriers to getting the same here....

If you're in an NBS area, then you're probably never going to get DSL or cable. The cost is just too high.

Scoffeymonster wrote: »

Cost effectiveness? I can't see this being a barrier either, especially since the Satelite is already set up.

Sky broadband has nothing to do with satellites. They use DSL in the UK. If you're in an NBS area, it's probable that you will never get DSL, and certainly not anything approaching 20Mbps.

JDxtra

Even if by some miracle did decide to enter the Irish market I would not get too excited. Their free broadband only has a 2Gb (yes 2Gb) monthly data allowance.

Cabaal

JDxtra wrote: »

Even if by some miracle did decide to enter the Irish market I would not get too excited. Their free broadband only has a 2Gb (yes 2Gb) monthly data allowance.

What do you expect for free

£7.50 gets you "unlimited*" on the Broadband package, not a bad price

watty

maybe even in UK sky won't do BB so cheap or "free"?

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/07/19/sky_easynet/

Sky has held talks to spin off its networking business Easynet, according to insiders.

Senior management at Easynet, which Sky bought for £211m in 2005, are planning a buyout, sources who spoke on condition of anonymity said.

BmanHamo

I heard this as well but told sep cant see it thought would not think the customer base is here

watty

The customers are here, just not the economics or the availability

More UK news
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/07/20/easynet_sky/

If easynet is getting sold, Sky will still be using it and controlling it

It's a surreal position to adopt: The Register's story was "speculation", yet we can't respond to it, but don't worry, we'll be making some sort of announcement about it by Thursday.

Sky bought Easynet in 2005 for £211m, ahead of its push into home broadband. It's understood that under the proposed buyout the Murdoch empire will retain control of the Easynet network.

Kensington

Easynet signed up Magnet Entertainment as a network partner back in May of this year [Source]

The release mentions only expanding Easynet's reach for international business clients of Easynet, but we may well see Sky expand to residential customers through Magnet in the future. They'll need to do something. UPC look set to fight dearly for triple play customers over the next while.

watty

That's business customers.

Magnet hasn't enough fibre or LLU for Sky. Also Magnet hasn't the money to buy any major Irish ISP.

ironman2

Even if sky launches broadband in ireland by end of this year they will require customers to signup for sky tv before they can get the broadband. thats wht there doing in uk.

Cabaal

Kensington wrote: »

Easynet signed up Magnet Entertainment as a network partner back in May of this year [Source]

.

Sky are currently looking at selling off Easynet as it has no interest for them, they bought Easynet years ago for the LLU network but it also came with a business arm which they have no interest in.

The Register is reporting that Sky may sell off the Easynet networking business which the company bought in 2005 mainly to gain access to their local loop unbundled (LLU) network. The LLU network has allowed Sky to enter in to the triple play market offering both telephone and broadband services alongside their traditional TV packages.

According to insiders at the company, senior management are planning a buyout with Easynet CEO David Rowe and CTO Justin Fielder meeting with Sky last week for talks. It is understood that Sky would keep control of the network whilst Easynet would rent capacity from Sky's networking unit to allow them to continue to provide services. The Easynet business is vastly different to that of Sky who focus on consumers. Easynet however offer services to businesses and enterprises, focusing on globally managed networks, hosting and solutions. They also offer access solutions to small businesses including broadband via their Easynet Connect and UKOnline brands. Unsurprisingly, Sky refused to comment to The Register on what they deeemed "market speculation".

In short...easynet working with Magnet means nothing

watty

Confirmed. Sky sells of Buisness part of Easynet to Management.
keeps bit for ordinary users.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/07/21/easynet_sky/

Scoffeymonster

I have just stir fried my post and eaten my words! :-)

On reflection, I think it is fairly obvious Sky will not be providing broadband in my crappy NBS area! :-(

The broadband situation outside of the major towns is an utter disgrace! I have been in some of the most remote places in the world where people where sitting around in their wooden shacks surfing the net! How did they buy computers you might ask? This I would also like to know, but I presume our secound hand computers go somewhere!

Yet in Ireland, 3 miles from a major town I have to be content with a crap wireless connection!

Anyway I think my rant is more suited in a different thread.

Boo-hoo sky, just for a second I thought maybe....just maybe....

Pyongyang

For the record, I spoke with a fella at the Sky booth in the Pav in Swords yesterday. I asked if Sky broadband was coming soon to which he replied that Sky are looking in to bringing it to Ireland, but not for at least another 6 months to a year.

Take it with a pinch of salt of course, but just thought I'd throw it in to the pot.

jor el

Pyongyang wrote: »

I asked if Sky broadband was coming soon to which he replied that Sky are looking in to bringing it to Ireland, but not for at least another 6 months to a year.

A lie. Sales people will rarely give a blank no answer, as it means you'll never come back to them. If they give you half a hope, they have a chance at some business from you. The guy in the sales booth in a shopping centre would be among the last people to know of Sky's plans.

Sky will never bring broadband to Ireland, and we don't need another eircom reseller ISP. We have more than enough of those already, and they do nothing to improve competition or spur on new growth in the market.

Cabaal

jor el wrote: »

Sky will never bring broadband to Ireland, and we don't need another eircom reseller ISP. We have more than enough of those already, and they do nothing to improve competition or spur on new growth in the market.

Well I wouldn't say never, I'd just say not anytime soon (ala in the next 2 years).

The only way they'll do it is likely buy someone like Digiweb (after all they own TalkTalk Ireland and Smart) and/or Magnet as this would give them LLU kit and a decent market share starting off.