back to article Sky: Stuff your quad play – customers want separate bills

Sky had a few surprises when it unveiled its new mobile network this week. Rather than half-heartedly selling its network as a second-class bolt-on to Sky's 11 million existing TV and broadband customers, Sky Mobile is going to be a feisty, consumer-friendly MVNO in its own right. Features of Sky Mobile will include rolling …

  1. Jay 2

    I probably haven't been paying attention as a Sky customer, but I had no idea they were about to launch a mobile service. Though I do know that PlusNet are about to do such a thing.

    Am on giffgaff at the moment. I'm not thinking of moving (similar pricing and contents), but will be keeping an eye on things.

    1. Warm Braw

      Am on giffgaff at the moment.

      Me too and I'm also waiting to see the details. I'm only a broadband/phone customer (I was a bit skeptical about Sky but they've actually been a significant improvement on some previous suppliers) and some reports suggest you need to be a TV customer to get the best mobile deal: £10pcm for 1GB data alone is not going to shift me from giffgaff and £20pcm to get the basic Sky TV package would be an expensive way to get free calls. If you're a Sky TV subscriber anyway it looks at first sight like a good deal.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    List of companies not to do business with:

    - Sky.

    1. This post has been deleted by its author

  3. Dan 55 Silver badge
    Meh

    Ah

    Their billing software/department couldn't do it, then.

    1. Phil O'Sophical Silver badge

      Re: Ah

      That was my thought. Their MVNO service is supplied by some third party, and all the bills will be electronic, so it's easier to send separate emails then to integrate the systems. Might as well put a positive spin on it.

  4. djstardust

    Save all the hassle ....

    Just stuff Sky.

    Murdoch Propaganda TV will never get a penny from me.

    Arseholes.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Sky means Sky router unless you are prepared to do some work, no thanks.

    1. Blotto Silver badge

      @AC

      "Sky means Sky router unless you are prepared to do some work, no thanks."

      what isp lets you plug in your own router without haveing to configure it?

      I used my Airport Extreme instead of the sky router when i had their vdsl with the separate openreach box. really didn't take long.

      i have the same setup but now with VM's crap router in modem mode that i can't replace.

      1. wolfetone Silver badge

        Well I use a Billion router with my BT Infinity broadband, and I had to do minimal configuring really. There was some issues with the TV channels but that was a checkbox I needed to click on the router.

        From memory though Sky are very arsey about you using a router that doesn't belong to them. Like a good router.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        "what isp lets you plug in your own router without haveing to configure it?"

        The point is the other ISPs will usually give you the details required. Sky don't and you have to use wireshark or similar to sniff out the details.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          How do you sniff out the details going between the router and the exchange with something like Wireshark ? I don't think that would work - it's the 'other' side of the connection, not the ethernet side but the PPPoA/ ATM side.

    2. Nonny Mouse

      Sky Hub 3 a LOT better than previous generations....

  6. User McUser
    Pint

    Ecclesiastes 1:9

    Features [...] include rolling data over into a "piggybank" – where you can use it at any point in the next three years

    Wow, I remember using "time banks" on BBSes in the early to mid 1990s.

    Amazing how things can change so much yet stay the same...

  7. MR J

    Ugh

    I like having everything on "one bill", I don't like having everything under "one package on the bill".

    The In-Laws recently did some changes and I asked if I could drop the TV service to get a discount.. The answer was no, as the "TV Service" was free!. But if I was to drop the "Free TV Service" then my bill would go up by £5 for mobile, and £7.50 for phone package because both come "FREE" with the "TV Service"..

    Bundles are there to make things too complicated for customers to compare individual services, discounts are clear and easy to read but most providers hate to list them.

    The "TV Box" has a HDD that got a stuck head and now it's dead, replaced that box with a FTA box now and he still pays for his "Free TV Service" only because he wants the "FREE" Mobile and Landline discounts...

    Personally my VM Bill can look slightly confusing too sometimes, For this month and next, I will pay nothing (eh?) and receive two separate discounts both for "Loyalty"... But the upshot is that my VM bills list the dates that my discounts end, what the discounts are for, and the names of the packages. Other providers simply say "discount" with no sign of wen it ends, what its for, or how much longer you will be in contract.

    I have seen telco staff get confused by their own bills too (same with energy suppliers) so perhaps Sky only left this out right now due to staff training?

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Bizarre

    Step 1: Be(There?) Internet spring into existence, offering ADSL2+ broadband for pretty much the first time in this country

    Step 2: O2 acquire Be in order to sell mobile and landline broadband

    Step 3: O2 decide that people don't want mobile and broadband from the same company, flog their DSL arm to Sky

    Step 4: Sky decide people *do* want mobile and broadband from the same company, re-sell O2's mobile offering

    Brilliant.

    1. katrinab Silver badge

      Re: Bizarre

      3. Telefonica, who own O2, are short of cash, and are selling things to raise money.

    2. Dan 55 Silver badge

      Re: Bizarre

      Don't question the market!

  9. MooseMonkey

    Expense dodged, well done

    As Sky have no idea how many customers they will get, I'm not surprised they dodged the integration bullet. Mobile billing is surprisingly complex (by design) so would have taken a huge effort.

  10. quxinot

    Any time the billing becomes complex, you're getting screwed. Simple as that.

    Look at any form of insurance. Or tax.

    Yeah.

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