Sky Broadband UK to Sell Openreach G.fast and FTTP Broadband

Sky Broadband has done a new wholesale deal with Openreach (BT) to sell the operator’s range of “ultrafast broadband” (G.fast and FTTP) services on to UK customers, which will come at a hefty price discount of up to 40%. Sky now hope to double their customer base.
Over the past year we’ve remarked a few times that Sky Broadband’s strategy in the UK has appeared to be at a standstill, while many of their competitors have moved to build their own “full fibre” (FTTP/H) networks. Part of this has been due to the on-going bidding war for ownership of Sky plc by Comcast and Fox / Disney, which has yet to be officially resolved.
The fact that Sky’s CEO effectively ruled the company out of building their own Gigabit capable FTTP broadband network in 2016 has also set a certain tone (here), albeit an unusual one for what is still the United Kingdom’s second largest broadband ISP (c.6.2 million customers with c.60% still on their unbundled ADSL2+ lines and the rest taking superfast FTTC / VDSL2 via Openreach).
The good news is that Sky has finally made a decision on their immediate future and it involves throwing their support behind Openreach’s national infrastructure, as opposed to building away from it. The deal will involve a wholesale price reduction, which appears to be based off the new volume discount scheme that was launched in July 2018 (here).
We should point out that Openreach’s discount scheme is available to all ISPs – including small providers – that can grow their “fibre broadband” customer base on Openreach’s superfast or ultrafast network by an agreed proportion over a 3 or 5 year period.
According to The Telegraph, Sky are aiming to double their broadband base, but this may be wishful thinking in such a difficult market for traditional customer growth (Sky’s own broadband base has struggled to grow for the past year or so).
One other challenge in all this is the fact that Openreach’s 330Mbps capable hybrid fibre G.fast network and their 1000Mbps full fibre FTTP service are still in their infancy. BTGroup reported last month (here) that G.fast has so far covered 1,117,000 premises, while their FTTP rollout had reached 631,000 premises.
Openreach’s current plan envisages G.fast reaching coverage of about 5.7 million premises and FTTP delivering to 3 million premises by 2020, although their full fibre network should eventually reach 10 million by around 2025 if everything goes as planned. Under this strategy Openreach will definitely have the largest FTTP network in the UK and so Sky’s move makes sense.
On the other hand the issue of price could prove to be a headache for Sky, even with the proposed discounts. Many of their rivals are now building alternative FTTP networks and some of those are already offering or planning to offer related services at an aggressively reduced price point (e.g. we expect Vodafone / Cityfibre to do this and Hyperoptic already do the same). Matching this on Openreach’s network would be difficult.
The newspaper article further hints that Sky may not pass the wholesale discounts on to customers due to marketing spend and the extra investment needed to support new network capacity / support systems, which may further weaken their ability to challenge. The key advantage they have though is that Openreach has the scale to build faster, much faster, than their rivals.
This might not quite be the co-funding arrangement that Openreach was hoping for but having the country’s second largest broadband ISP put some weight behind their FTTP/G.fast solutions is still an important development. The race is on and we now await details on the first Sky Ultrafast Broadband packages, which we already know will be supported by a new wireless router.
Source isppreview

Latest Jobs
-
- Identity Channel Partner Manager | London
- London
- N/A
-
Identity Channel Partner Manager | London Location: South East UK (commutable to London) We are working with a Cyber Security business who are looking for a Channel Partner Manager to drive and grow relationships across their identity ecosystem. Prior experience working within VARs, distributors, vendors or resellers in the identity space is essential. You must have experience working with technologies such as CyberArk, Sailpoint, Okta etc Responsibilities will include, but not be limited to: Build, maintain and develop strong relationships with channel partners. Work closely with partner sales teams to support growth drive sales opportunities. Identify and onboard new partners while strengthening existing partnerships. Act as the key point of contact for all channel-related activity. If you are an experienced channel professional, with experience in the Identity space and are ready for your next challenge, apply today.
-
- Service Architect- DACH regions
- Germany
- Upto €110,000 plus bonus and benefits
-
Lead Service Architect with the authority and experience to take control of complex, multi-million-euro outsourcing bids. This role is about leading the Service/ solutioning effort, bringing structure to chaos, and driving the entire bid team to deliver winning proposals. The company area a global managed services business working with enterprise and public sector clients, across Cloud, End-User Computing, Digital Workplace, Service Desk, and Network Infrastructure. What You’ll Do: Lead Service/ solution design from qualification to contract. Control bid teams — architects, pricing, delivery, and SMEs. Break down RFPs/RFIs into actionable, costed, client-ready solutions. Present internally and to clients at decision-maker level. Run solution workshops, own the architecture, and shape the financial model. You’ll Need: Experience working as a Service architect, Service Manager or Customer Success Manager R Gravitas to lead and drive teams through high-stakes bids. Deep knowledge of managed services delivery and commercial models. Strong technical grasp: Cloud, Security, EUC, Unified Comms, Service Desk, and more. Experience leading deals across onshore, offshore, and hybrid delivery models.
-
- Deal Architect- DACH region
- Germany
- Upto €110,000 plus bonus and benefits
-
Lead Deal Architect with the authority and experience to take control of complex, multi-million-euro outsourcing bids. This role is about leading the solutioning/ Service effort, bringing structure to chaos, and driving the entire bid team to deliver winning proposals. The company is a global managed services business providing solutions to enterprise and public sector clients, across Cloud, End-User Computing, Digital Workplace, Service Desk, and Network Infrastructure. What You’ll Do: Lead the deal from qualification to contract. Control bid teams — architects, pricing, delivery, and SMEs. Break down RFPs/RFIs into actionable, costed, client-ready solutions. Present internally and to clients at decision-maker level. Run solution workshops, own the architecture, and shape the financial model. Be responsible for the service Wrap and ensuring the Service meets clients requirements You’ll Need: A back ground with IT Services Experience in a similar type of role, for example: Deal, Service, or Solution Architect in ICT outsourcing. Gravitas to lead and drive teams through high-stakes bids. Deep knowledge of managed services delivery and commercial models. Strong technical knowledge: Cloud, Security, EUC, Unified Comms, Service Desk, and more. Experience leading deals across onshore, offshore, and hybrid delivery models.
-
- Pre Sales Lead- IT Services
- Germany
- Upto €100,000 plus benefits
-
As the Pre-Sales Lead (Sales Engineer/ Solution Architect) you will drive large-scale ICT managed services and outsourcing deals (from €0.5M to €20M+). You'll work directly with Business Development and clients to design high-impact solutions across Cloud (Azure, IaaS, SaaS, PaaS), EUC, Unified Comms, Security (SIEM, PAM), Networks, and Smart Workplaces. What You’ll Do: Lead the end-to-end pre-sales cycle — from RFI/RFP to contract. Design innovative, client-specific solutions with technical & commercial impact. Present at CxO level and steer proposal strategies & financial models. Collaborate closely with Portfolio, Service Desk, Field, and Digital Workplace teams. Support deal shaping with strong knowledge of ITIL, SIAM, Automation, and cost analysis. What You’ll Bring: Have strong experience in pre-sales or solution architecture. Experience with €M+ managed service deals. Deep technical expertise in modern ICT stack and enterprise IT services. Strong German (C1) and English communication skills. Certifications: ITIL v3/v4 required; SIAM, ISO20000 desirable.