BT are soon to install their fibre optic system to the cabinet down the road from me, but I am considering changing to sky for cost reasons (as I have their TV already).
We also need to know how you use your internet connection, and which Sky Broadband package you are considering.
Are you aware that you are forced to transfer your phone line to Sky LLU as well, and that bringing it back to being a "BT line" in the future can be a bit messy, possibly involving a loss of broadband for a couple of weeks.
However, Sky can not run on BT's infinity system directly
Dont confuse BT Retail Infinity with BT Openreach FTTC. It is Openreach FTTC that is being installed. Infinity is just BT Retail's product based on it. There are many other ISPs that can supply FTTC, just as there are over a hundred that can supply the ADSL that you are on, though Sky do not have an FTTC product.
I was wondering if general line speeds in an area increase when optics are sent to the box
No. The esoteric discussion going on at the moment about marginal possible differences either up or down need not concern you. Have a read of
my FTTx page, and the page below it listing suppliers, with a link on that second page to a spreadsheet with summary details of those suppliers' offerings.
seeing as sky offer speeds of up to 20 meg on normal land lines when everyone else says 8meg.
Already explained by others. For more info see my What is LLU? page in the menu of the site I linked to above.
currently with BT I get a reasonable 7.2 meg
That is very important information. If you can find and post your line stats,
see here for help, we will be able to give you an answer with considerable accuracy to the implied question in
If I go with Sky, from experience elsewhere I will get similar spees to current
With a current speed of 7.2Mbps you will almost certainly get more than now on Sky, possibly a lot more. The line stats will tell us how much.
My broadband basic info/help site - www.robertos.me.uk
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Internet connection - IDNet Home Starter Fibre.
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"Where talent is a dwarf, self-esteem is a giant." - Jean-Antoine Petit-Senn.
Edited by RobertoS (Sat 14-Jan-12 00:46:57)