50 day delay in install of Sky Broadband

[AndyT5]

Hello - first post on this...

When renewing my Sky Stream contract I was persuaded to switch to Sky broadband.   My previous supplier was excellent with fast fibre into house - but Sky came out a lot cheaper.  Soon after the install date Sky/Openreach started advising of problems.  Cut a very long story short I've now been waiting 50 days since the install date, with zero broadband.  I do get weekly texts promising that something will happen, but it never seems to.  I'm no expert in broadband, but it seems that all Sky has managed to achieve is to de-install the service that was working perfectly prior to their involvement.

Just wondering if anyone else has had similar problems and/or any advice to get things moving?  I speak every few days with the call centre and I've made a formal complaint.  

[JimM1]

@AndyT5 Question did you use the OTS (one touch switching) service, that is take sky for the broadband, you do nothing and they take care off it all, the other supplier you were with have to keep supplying the broadband to you all the time until sky takes over NO matter what the delay is!

[AndyT5]

Thanks very much Jim - That does sound like the service I was promised where I didnt have to do anything at all.   My feeling though is that if Sky could pass the buck to (or share the blame with) the previous supplier their agents would have mentioned that to me.    I'll mention this as a possibililty next time they call with another delay  Thanks again - A

[Jewels5]

M having the same problem. I'm deaf and rely on the broadband to connect my smoke/fire alarms and house alarm. The broadband kept dropping so they advised an upgrade would stop this happening. That was September! I receive weekly updates telling me the date has changed and I've just been advised date has now changed to 27 January 2026! Got in touch with Sky and they couldn't care less that they're putting me - and possibly others - at risk, especially with frequently losing internet during the night when I'm in bed without aids! Sick of the whole thing...

[Chrisee]

@Jewels5 dellays in installing full fibre are inevitable Openreach the main network operator are doing around 80K of these jobs eaxh week and a smaill percentage hit issues. With upgrades or switch the existing service should remain available until the new service is in place.

No domestic ISP can promise 24/7 connectivity so if you have particular requirements to have a guaranteed connection you wiuld have to buy multiple independent connections but fortunately most alarm systems can operate locally during periods of lost connection or contain a mobile Sim if your's doesn't it would seem not to be fit for purpose. 

[AndyT5]

That's awful - surely they should prioritise installs such as your own.  

If its any comfort my broadband is now installed, but after an eight week wait with zero signal.  Sky's communications are awful, just the same (word for word) messages again and again.  I understand that things can go wrong and I asked if they could supply a workaround - a starlink or 5G router or something - to be told simply we just don't do that.   (I think other providers do).  Their agents on the phone were mostly ok, but working from a script that doesn't move anything forward.  To be told that I'm now at escalation level 3 is just corporate-speak nonsense.

I really hope you get sorted soon.  Maybe worth asking if your local newspaper (if there still is such a thing) would be interested in your story and they could apply some pressure.   Best of luck.

[JimM1]

@AndyT5 Other ISP companies do provide extra addon facilities, and they are NOT part off a standard BB package, so getting a temp work around is something else, and 99% off them will be mobile connected systems, so poor mobile then poor Internet!

[AndyT5]

Poor mobile and poor internet is arguably better than zero internet over a two month period.  I get that things go wrong, sometimes they go really wrong, sometimes councils have to be told that roads have to be dug up.  Get all that.  And Sky don't need me to advise on how to run their business.  But when there are serious delays - and the customer lives in an area with great 4 or 5g why not send out a loaner Sky mifi box with pre-paid data sim?  Free of charge assuming returned when service restored.   It may not be contracted or whatever its just sensible PR/ client retention - and may be enough to keep the client's essential domestic services working.  

[Chrisee]

@AndyT5 Sky business do offer a mobile data backup, but their domestic service doesn't. There is a cost attached to these facilities which is either reflected directly in the cost or indirectly by higher prices across the board.

The compensation thst is credited for delayed provision in the UK should cover the cost for most domestic customers see Customer Auto-Compensation | Sky Help | Sky.com

[AndyT5]

There are costs attached to every aspect of business - of course.  Sky aint getting Idris Elba for free.  But if I hire a car and it breaks down - Avis will generally get me another one sharpish.  Maybe not the exact model, but they'll get me going.  If I buy something from Amazon and it gets lost they'll generally put a replacement in the post.  These decisions as you suggest cost companies money and its absolutely their decision how they treat customers.  Ryanair do well enough treating customers as they do.  But when I come to renew my broadband I'll maybe remember that Sky did the square root of sod all to deploy a relatively inexpensive workaround when things went wrong.  So I might just look elsewhere - that's my decision.