topic Re: Changing from Virgin Media to Sky with no BT Line in Broadband

Changing from Virgin Media to Sky with no BT Line

TeresaALees — Sun, 09 Nov 2025 14:00:35 GMT

I`ve been with Virgin Media (and previous name changes telewest/blueyonder etc) for around 30 years. I have no BT line. I have a single outside cable coming through the wall connected to a brass connector then 2 cables from this, one connected to Virgin Media Router and I presume another is connected to make the landline phone lines work.
I want to change to Sky for Broadband, TV and landline phone.
I've tried the live chatbot - no help whatsoever and wouldn`t let me speak to human advisor.
I keep seeing a message from Sky saying - "do you have connections available to Sky" as I`ve only ever had Virgin Media with connections mentioned above, I don`t know how I go about getting Sky to listen and advise on what`s needed for this property and don`t want to be left with no broadband/TV/phone while Sky change us over.
Has anybody else changed from Virgin Media to Sky? What happens if you don`t have the correct fittings to do the installation yourself?

Re: Changing from Virgin Media to Sky with no BT Line

TimmyBGood — Sun, 09 Nov 2025 15:21:44 GMT

@TeresaALees

If it's in the UK, putting the address into the BT Wholesale Availability Checker should indicate which broadband provisioning type is applicable.

https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL/AddressHome

It's the table and the two text lines below it which are most useful.

Remove any personal information (such as the address itself) if you post an image.

Re: Changing from Virgin Media to Sky with no BT Line

TeresaALees — Sun, 09 Nov 2025 17:55:33 GMT

Thank You for the link, I can`t make head nor tail of the information.
Is this showing a problem with Virgin or if there will be a problem with Sky?

Re: Changing from Virgin Media to Sky with no BT Line

TimmyBGood — Sun, 09 Nov 2025 17:58:52 GMT

@TeresaALees

It's showing how Openreach would provide a circuit for Sky Broadband to arrive over.

Could you post the two lines of text below that table?

Re: Changing from Virgin Media to Sky with no BT Line

TeresaALees — Sun, 09 Nov 2025 18:11:50 GMT

This text? Sorry, I`m completely lost with this. I`ve looked all round the house, there is an overhead telephone cable coming to the corner of the property, but it doesn`t come into the property at all.

Re: Changing from Virgin Media to Sky with no BT Line

TeresaALees — Sun, 09 Nov 2025 18:13:40 GMT

I just realised the last word of the first line is missing - the last word is "required"

Re: Changing from Virgin Media to Sky with no BT Line

TimmyBGood — Sun, 09 Nov 2025 18:22:37 GMT

@TeresaALees

OK, so the current absence of a legacy Openreach copper 'phone line' isn't an issue because that would be replaced by a new optical fibre connection anyway, arriving overhead and requiring the use of a 'cherry picker'.

Re: Changing from Virgin Media to Sky with no BT Line

TeresaALees — Sun, 09 Nov 2025 18:26:09 GMT

Thank You so much. So I`d send Virgin their router back, leaving their cable attached to our wall (otherwise we`d have a gaping hole in the brickwork) and Sky would need someone to physically install their equipment. It`s just when I go to "place an order" it asks me to confirm for me to install the kit myself and I can`t get to speak to anyone to tell them I wouldn`t be able to do this,

Re: Changing from Virgin Media to Sky with no BT Line

TimmyBGood — Sun, 09 Nov 2025 18:50:39 GMT

@TeresaALees

Don't cancel or send back anything with Virgin until the Openreach circuit and Sky Broadband is working: the need for a hoist might well delay installation. Under the one-touch-switch system the Virgin service should continue up to this point.

Re: Changing from Virgin Media to Sky with no BT Line

TeresaALees — Sun, 09 Nov 2025 18:57:20 GMT

ThankYou again. I`ll keep that in mind with them.

Re: Changing from Virgin Media to Sky with no BT Line

Jacqui-jac — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 01:31:28 GMT

Have recently chanced from Virgin to Sky. Ordered placed in June with activation date given for August. openreach visited the property to say work was needed to run a new cable to the property to get the sky service activated. Multiple delays with minimal updates and lack of clarification when calling. Long and short of it was openreach needed a company to come and dig and run a new cable from pavement to property for the new line.

This finally happened on Friday and now the front of my house has been dug and left unfilled (normal procedure from what I can see) left the site mostly clean and the workers were pleasant enough. Other residents in the area had not had such great experiences.

suspect next stage is someone arrives and makes the site neat and secure awaiting the engineers to install a new "box" on the side of my house. Currently aiming for a go live date of 1st December.

few things to note...

1. when you sign up and select an installation date this isn't set in stone if work is needed.

2. you are apparently entitled to £6ish every day the installation is delayed. Given my experience so far I'm not too hopeful of this at the moment.

3. If you are leaving virgin due to a package deal running out give them a call and try and negotiate a rolling contract at a cheaper price while the delay is happening.

4. Be prepared to be passed from department to department when calling to query what the delay is and when the solution is likely to happen.

My delays were not skys fault, however the communication isn't the strongest to keep you in the loop of what's going on.

I've taken some comfort in the compensation scheme being there which will hopefully cover my inflated out of contact price with virgin while this all swaps over. Just a shame it's given me a few bad experiences negotiating multiple departments on the customer service side when calling.