Price:
Speed:
Reliability:
Router:
Sky Ultrafast Plus Broadband offers average download speeds of 500Mbps with unlimited usage.
The package is delivered using a full fibre to the home connection, and is currently available to around 36% of homes in the UK.
Sky Ultrafast Plus is very competitively priced, but users will have to pay an extra £7.50 to get the latest Sky Max Hub WiFi 6 router.
At a glance
| Price | £35 |
|---|---|
| Setup cost | £5 |
| Minimum term | 18 months |
| Out of contract price | £53 |
| Annual price increase | Prices may rise |
| Download speed | 500Mbps |
| Upload speed | 60Mbps |
| Usage allowance | Unlimited |
| Router | Sky Broadband Hub |
| WiFi guarantee | 25Mbps for £7.50/mth |
| Parental controls | Sky Broadband Shield |
| Home phone | Included |
| Anytime calls | £13.50 (inc. UK mobiles) |
| TV | Optional: Sky Stream or Sky Glass |
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Competitively priced for 500Mbps | Extra cost for the latest WiFi 6 router |
| Discounts available on Sky Stream | |
| Excellent customer service |
| Package | Broadband | Monthly price | Upfront price | Contract term | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Ultrafast Plus Broadband | 500Mb average | £33 | £5 | 18 months |
| Offer: WiFi Max just £3/mth + (£5 refundable setup fee for new customers if applicable) | |||||
|
Sky Entertainment + Netflix + Ultrafast Plus Broadband | 500Mb average | £45 | Free | 18 months |
| Offer: Save £9/mth on Sky Entertainment & Netflix + Reduced price broadband + Free setup (Ends 23/05/2024) | |||||
Who is Sky Ultrafast Plus best for?
Sky Ultrafast Plus is a mid-tier full fibre package, and offers download speeds adequate for even the largest of homes.
The extra speeds offered by Ultrafast Plus will come in useful for homes where multiple people are going online at the same time, particularly if they're online gaming or streaming in HD or UHD.
Sky Ultrafast Plus is also a great broadband package for those who work from home, especially where that connection is also being shared, so no one gets slowed down.
500Mbps is capable of downloading large files quickly. FIFA 23 for the PlayStation 5 for example, would take just over 14 minutes. In comparison, Sky Ultrafast which offers 145Mbps download speeds would take an hour and twenty minutes.
Overall, Sky Ultrafast Plus is best suited for:
- Larger households with multiple people going online at the same time
- People who work from home, where a fast connection is paramount
- Online gamers and families who stream content in Ultra HD
In terms of pricing, Sky Ultrafast Plus Broadband is currently competitively priced, and one of the cheapest full fibre plans offering such fast download speeds.
While that does make it more attractive, customers should be aware prices will rise after the minimum term, when it increases to over £50 per month. While it's possible to switch providers or re-contract with Sky for a cheaper price at this point, it's worth bearing in mind.
It's also the case that customers looking for such fast speeds are also likely to want the latest router, which here, unfortunately, costs an extra £7.50, but it is at least available.
What does Sky Ultrafast Plus offer?
Sky Ultrafast Plus offers average download speeds of 500Mbps, coupled with average upload speeds of 60Mbps.
Ultrafast Plus includes a digital home phone line with pay as you go calls, the Sky Broadband Hub, and a free Wall-to-Wall WiFi guarantee promising minimum speeds in every room or money back.
| Package | Broadband | Monthly price | Upfront price | Contract term | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Ultrafast Plus Broadband | 500Mb average | £33 | £5 | 18 months |
| Offer: WiFi Max just £3/mth + (£5 refundable setup fee for new customers if applicable) | |||||
This full fibre plan is available where the Openreach FTTP network has rolled out to, which is so far around 36% of homes. You can check availability in your area on our Sky broadband deals page.
The minimum term on Sky Ultrafast Plus Broadband is 18 months, and prices will rise at this point unless a customer chooses to switch away or negotiate a new deal with Sky.
Sky also reserve the right to increase prices annually, although unlike other providers they don't specify by how much. In April 2023, Sky increased broadband prices by 8.1% but also gave customers the option to leave their contract early.
Sky Ultrafast Plus Broadband also comes with unlimited usage and Sky Broadband Shield, which offers network-level protection against phishing and malware, as well as customisable age-related content settings for younger family members.
Sky Ultrafast Plus and calls
Sky Ultrafast Plus broadband comes with a digital home phone line as standard and customers can make and receive calls on a pay as you go basis.
For those who use their home phone more regularly, Sky also offer three inclusive calling plans:
| Call plan | Includes | Monthly price |
|---|---|---|
| Sky Talk Evenings and Weekends Extra | Calls to UK landlines and UK mobiles Monday to Friday evenings, 7pm to 7am, and all weekend | £5.75 |
| Sky Talk Anytime Extra | Calls to UK landlines and UK mobiles at any time | £13.50 |
| Sky Talk International Extra | Calls to UK landlines and UK mobiles at any time, plus calls to 50 popular destinations | £15.50 |
Pay as you go, and out of allowance, calls cost 25 pence per minute to UK landlines and UK mobiles, plus a 25 pence connection charge.
Sky Talk plans come minimum contract terms of 18 months when taken with a broadband deal.
Sky Ultrafast Plus and Sky TV
While Sky Ultrafast Plus can be taken as a standalone broadband deal, it's also available with additional discounts on both Sky Stream and Sky Glass.
| Package | TV | Broadband | Monthly price | Upfront price | Contract term | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Sky Entertainment + Netflix + Ultrafast Plus Broadband | 150 | 500Mb average | £45 | Free | 18 months |
| Offer: Save £9/mth on Sky Entertainment & Netflix + Reduced price broadband + Free setup (Ends 23/05/2024) | ||||||
At the time of writing, it's possible to get Sky Ultrafast Plus Broadband for just £29 per month when bundled with Sky Stream with Sky Entertainment and Netflix, which is a saving of £6 per month over taking the services separately.
While Sky Stream taken in a broadband bundle comes with an 18-month minimum term, it's still possible to add premium packs on rolling 31-day terms if a customer chooses. Sky Sports, Sky Cinema, TNT Sports (the new name for BT Sport), and Sky Kids are all available on 31-day terms.
Read more about Sky TV packages and the Sky Stream box.
Sky Ultrafast Plus vs Gigafast
The next step up from Sky Ultrafast Plus is Sky Gigafast and it may be worth asking whether the upgrade is worth considering.
Sky Gigafast offers double the download speed of Ultrafast Plus, with average speeds of 900Mbps at peak times. Uploads are also faster with average speeds of 90Mbps, compared to 60Mbps with Ultrafast Plus.
| Package | Broadband | Monthly price | Upfront price | Contract term | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Ultrafast Broadband | 145Mb average | £28 | £5 | 18 months |
| Offer: WiFi Max just £3/mth + (£5 refundable setup fee for new customers if applicable) | |||||
|
|
Ultrafast Plus Broadband | 500Mb average | £33 | £5 | 18 months |
| Offer: WiFi Max just £3/mth + (£5 refundable setup fee for new customers if applicable) | |||||
|
|
Gigafast Broadband | 900Mb average | £41 | £5 | 18 months |
| Offer: WiFi Max just £3/mth + (£5 refundable setup fee for new customers if applicable) | |||||
Should you upgrade?
For the extra speed boost of Sky Gigafast, customers currently only pay £13 more per month.
However, it may only be larger households with more people using the Internet at the same time, or those with multiple people working from home, that will really benefit from the faster speeds.
We've also included Sky Ultrafast in the table above, as Sky's entry-level full fibre broadband package is very competitively priced at the time of writing, and may be worth considering for smaller households who want to save money.
How does Sky Ultrafast Plus compare?
Despite being a premium provider with market-leading customer service and extra features including Sky TV, many of Sky's broadband deals are currently priced on the cheaper side.
Here's how Sky Ultrafast Plus looks side-by-side against other providers:
| Package | Broadband | Monthly price | Upfront price | Contract term | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Ultrafast Plus Broadband | 500Mb average | £33 | £5 | 18 months |
| Offer: WiFi Max just £3/mth + (£5 refundable setup fee for new customers if applicable) | |||||
|
Full Fibre 500 | 500Mb average | £33.99 | Free | 24 months |
| Offer: Save over £19/mth + No setup fee + Exclusive offers and discounts for Plusnet customers | |||||
|
M500 Fibre Broadband | 516Mb average | £35 | Free | 18 months |
| Offer: 500Mb broadband for the price of 350Mb + No setup fee (was £35) (Ends 30/04/2024) | |||||
|
Full Fibre 500 | 525Mb average | £39 | Free | 18 months |
| Offer: Free setup and P&P | |||||
Sky Ultrafast Plus is currently cheaper than equivalent deals from Virgin Media, BT and TalkTalk, and only one penny more expensive than budget provider Plusnet.
While Sky include a digital phone line as standard, which isn't an even option with TalkTalk or Plusnet, they do reserve their latest router for customers willing to pay more for the WiFi Max add-on.
That's worth bearing in mind when comparing costs, because TalkTalk for example, bundle a WiFi 6 router with their Full Fibre 500 plan as standard, as do Shell Energy Broadband.
Sky WiFi Max costs an extra £7.50 per month and upgrades the WiFi 5 router to a WiFi 6 router, and includes WiFi Pods to boost coverage where needed.
How fast is Sky Ultrafast Plus broadband?
Sky Ultrafast Plus broadband offers average download speeds of 500Mbps at peak times, which is between 8pm and 10pm in the evening when the network is busiest.
| Average download speed | Average upload speed | |
|---|---|---|
| Sky Ultrafast Plus | 500Mbps | 60Mbps |
Average advertised broadband speeds must be received by at least 50% of a provider's customer base during peak hours. So, it's much more reliable measurement than it used to be.
In addition, Sky also provide new customers with estimated speeds based on their individual property when they sign up.
Minimum speed guarantee
Along with a personalised estimated speed, Sky will also provide new customers signing up to Ultrafast Plus with a minimum download speed guarantee.
| Estimated download speed | Minimum guaranteed speed | |
|---|---|---|
| Sky Ultrafast Plus | 470 - 515Mbps | 400Mbps |
*Estimated speeds and minimum speeds may vary on location.
This guarantee promises that if a customer's speed drops below this minimum for 3 consecutive days or more, and Sky aren't able to fix the issue within 30 days, the customer will be able to exit their broadband contract without penalty.
In addition, customers who sign up to Sky Ultrafast Plus broadband and don't get their minimum download speed can also claim one month's broadband subscription back from Sky, which is unique to most other providers.
When we tested a postcode in Brighton, we were given a minimum download speed of 400Mbps, and an estimated download speed range of 470 to 515Mbps.
WiFi guarantee
Sky offer Ultrafast Plus Broadband customers two WiFi guarantees, although they run separately and can't be used together.
All customers get Sky's free Wall to Wall WiFi Guarantee which promises minimum download speeds over wireless of 3Mbps in every room. If a customer doesn't get this they can claim one month's broadband subscription back.
However, the Wall to Wall WiFi Guarantee doesn't include any WiFi extenders. For this, they'll need to upgrade to the Sky WiFi Max add-on for an extra £7.50 per month.
Sky WiFi Max promises Ultrafast Plus customers minimum speeds over wireless of 25Mbps in every room, and Sky will provide WiFi extenders to achieve this. In addition, WiFi Max also includes an upgraded router, the Sky Max Hub.
What router is included?
Sky Ultrafast Plus broadband comes with the Sky Broadband Hub. It's a fairly standard dual-band router that supports the WiFi 5 protocol, along with four ethernet ports for wired connections.
However, for a package with 500Mbps download speeds customers may expect a more recently released router than the Sky Broadband Hub.
It's possible for customers to upgrade the router by taking the Sky WiFi Max add-on for an extra £7.50 per month, which includes the Sky Max Hub router.
The Sky Max Hub was released in July 2023 and supports the latest WiFi 6 protocol. It's seriously worth considering this upgrade, especially for Sky customers who also have Sky Stream or Sky Glass as these devices also support WiFi 6.
Verdict: Is Sky Ultrafast Plus any good?
Sky Ultrafast Plus is a fast broadband deal that's currently priced competitively in the market, and is one of the cheapest 500Mb plans available.
That's despite the fact Sky is a premium provider with excellent customer service and optional add-ons like Sky TV and a 25Mbps whole home WiFi guarantee.
For larger households, especially those who want to bundle Sky TV, Sky Ultrafast Plus offers an advanced broadband package for a budget friendly price.
The major downside of this package however is Sky's decision to make their latest router a paid for upgrade, rather than including it as standard with their faster broadband deals.
Most customers taking a 500Mbps or faster plan will want the latest router to support those speeds, but this means spending an additional £7.50 per month, which detracts from the lower initial price point of the deal.
We expect its only time before Sky do include their Sky Max Hub with at least their Ultrafast Plus and Gigafast plans, but for now, customers should remember for the extra cost they also get one of the market's fastest whole home WiFi guarantees.
Read more about Sky broadband in our review, as well as how Sky perform head-to-head with Virgin Media.
See all of Sky broadband's latest deals.
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