No upgrade path from Ultrafast 1 (g.fast) to full fibre

[janew]

TL;DR: Sky can't upgrade me as an existing g.fast/Ultrafast customer to a full fibre service like Gigafast. They want me to cancel my service or downgrade to Essentials to allow their system to enable the upgrade path as a standard Broadband customer or a new customer. Has anyone managed to upgrade from g.fast -> an FTTP service without doing this?

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My situation is as follows:

Been a loyal Sky customer for 13 years and have been really impressed with Sky Broadband service and their customer support. I've upgraded continually in this time as faster speeds have become available.

A couple of years ago, I upgraded from the standard Broadband to Ultrafast as my property is connected to a FTTC cabinet and is close enough to the exchange to receive a good speed. It's been good, but my connection via overhead pole can sometimes vary depending on weather conditions.

Openreach upgraded my overhead pole a month ago to allow FTTP connections. This is clear on their website and from the other providers I query such as Plusnet, BT etc. who will give me a 900mbps full fibre connection to order as a new customer.

Sky, however, do not give me this option. After many rounds with their customer service team, and a failed install that they somehow managed to arrange (Openreach were never booked so didn't turned up), I have been told by an advisor that there is no upgrade path from my g.fast/FTTC connection to full fibre and I either need to downgrade to Essentials broadband or cancel my sevice and order as a new customer in order for their system to allow it, as they see Ultrafast as a full fibre connection, even though g.fast isn't full fibre.

Has anyone managed to upgrade from g.fast (Ultrafast 1) to FTTP (Gigafast) without this ridiculous canel/downgrade process and loss/reduction of service?

[janew]

Any thoughts on this please? I'm planning on speaking with the cancellations team today to move this forward, but my current Ultrafast/g.fast contract is until Feb 2024 and I don't want to pay for any early contract termination or experience a loss/reduction in service to get Gigafast because of having to work around Sky's system.

[TimmyBGood]

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@janew wrote:

I have been told by an advisor that there is no upgrade path from my g.fast/FTTC connection to full fibre and I either need to downgrade to Essentials broadband or cancel my sevice and order as a new customer in order for their system to allow it

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Unfortunately that may well be correct: I suspect ISPs didn't anticipate Openreach would effectively abandon G.fast as a technology, or that they would be so quick to roll out FTTP in existing G.fast areas.

[jamesn123]

@janew 

Are you sure Sky can actually provide FTTC to your address yet? Often their database lags behind others so if your pole was only provisioned a month ago it could be a few more weeks before Sky can see it. 

[Chrisee · Accepted solution]

@janew on a recent visit to Sky's customer support base I asked this question and it was confirmed there is currently no upgrade path from Sky Ultrafast over G.Fast to Ultrafast over FTTP.

If  customers are still in the  18 month minimum contract period they are effectively stuck. If they are out of the contract period then it appears currently to only option with Sky is those you have been given or switch ISPs. I know it sounds mad but the manager was clear that currently their systems dont support what you want to do.

[janew]

They can (assume you mean FTTP, I was already FTTC via g.fast). My neighbour (same pole) as a non-Sky customer can sign up online and is offered Gigafast. Sky told me themselves they can offer it to my address but their system won't let me "upgrade".

[janew]

@Chrisee Thanks. This confirms my suspicion. I am still within contract until Februrary.

It seems absolute madness that they can't shortcut this process on their end if it is physically possible to give me this service, and I am the one who has to handle the loss/reduction of service, or going elsewhere.

[Chrisee]

@janew if you are patient it maybe worth waiting until you are out of contract. Its a guess but I suspect its a managerial decision to stop a mass exodus from G.Fast rather than a longer term refusal. However its up to you.

[TimmyBGood]

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@Chrisee wrote:

@janew 

Its a guess but I suspect its a managerial decision to stop a mass exodus from G.Fast rather than a longer term refusal. 

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Also a financial one: Sky will have paid an Openreach fee to provision G.fast, and then doing so for FTTP at the same address within the span of a minimum term may cause the accountants to wince.

[theskyisblue123]

Very disappointing if that's the case. I had to take the g.fast version of the Ultrafast package as I can't get FTTP yet. Openreach says my building is in their plans so maybe it will be in a few months and while I'm in no hurry to upgrade as it's working fine currently I would probably like to upgrade to 500mbps eventually. The upload speed I currently get is only 30mbps which is not great. Sucks that Sky had to make things difficult.

[rsmarshall]

I have the same issue.

An engineer and sky customer service told me at the time that I could "upgrade" to FTTP when it was available. Now that is it, I'm told I'd be without the net for two weeks as I would have to cancel before I could re-order. I can't do that as I work from home and need the net.

[TimmyBGood]

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@rsmarshall wrote:

Now that is it, I'm told I'd be without the net for two weeks as I would have to cancel before I could re-order.

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If ordered through Sky, yes.  Placing a 'switch' order with another ISP shouldn't have a gap in service, but would incur an early cancellation fee from Sky if you are within a minimum contract term.

[ade+harry]

same for me, on ultrafast 1 but unable to upgrade to giga even though it's now available.

Trying to upgrade online gives "Unfortunately Sky Broadband is not available at your address" - not sure what I've been using all these years then?

Can't even speak to them, their chat is ALWAYS unavailable and stuck in a massive phone queue for hours is not gonna happen (again).

Been with Sky for 15 years and now they really don't want my money for some reason - really disappointed

[TimmyBGood]

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@ade+harry wrote:

Trying to upgrade online gives "Unfortunately Sky Broadband is not available at your address" - not sure what I've been using all these years then?

That's a clumsy error message generated when the address is provisioned on Ultrafast 1 over G.fast: we've suggested that Sky try to produce something rather more informative (and accurate)

[ade+harry]

thanks Tim, are they going to allow us to upgrade do you know?