Sky launches ‘Sky Connect’ to provide Britain’s small businesses with a better broadband experience - 1000 new jobs to be created

• Small businesses are more reliant on broadband as they lead the nation’s economic recovery from the COVID pandemic
• Sky believes British small businesses deserve better: better products and technology; clearer contracts and exceptional customer service
• Purpose built features: “Connection Pro” provides automatic 4G backup and “VoiceEdge” delivers 24 call management features
• Over 1000 new jobs to be created, including 750 B2B specialist roles

Sky today announced the launch of ‘Sky Connect’, a new entrant in the UK B2B telecoms market focused on partnering with small businesses to provide them with a better broadband experience: purpose-built business products, exceptional service, and simple pricing and packaging, with no hidden fees.

Sky’s entrance to the business broadband market follows its success in residential broadband. With over 6 million customers, Sky Broadband is the second largest residential provider in the UK, and over the past ten years Sky Broadband has, on average, received fewer complaints to Ofcom than anyone else¹. Sky Connect plans to bring this best-in-class service to small businesses, including professional installation, backed by a customer charter featuring a 30-day money back guarantee, simplified billing, no in-contract price rises, and no hassle cancellation fees.

Small businesses are the growth engine of the economy, and Sky Connect has been developed to be a partner and help them succeed. Sky Connect’s products and services are built on feedback from hundreds of small businesses across the UK and aimed to address concerns with existing providers. Sky Connect will provide superfast broadband with built-in malware & phishing protection; “VoiceEdge”, a modern digital voice service with 24 call management features^*, and “Connection Pro”, which provides business-grade 4G back-up, and much more.

Stephen van Rooyen, EVP & CEO, UK & Europe, Sky, said:

“Covid-19 has had a huge impact on small British businesses, with many moving online to survive. We’re launching Sky Connect now, and plan to create up to a thousand new jobs across the UK, because we know British businesses will come out fighting and we want to be there to help.

“Small businesses are the growth engine of our economy and we believe they deserve better – better products and technology; clearer contracts, and exceptional customer service.”

Responding to the announcement, Minister for Small Business, Paul Scully MP said: “The pandemic has been a huge challenge for small businesses but it has also shown the entrepreneurial spirit which Britain is renowned for, with firms adapting and shifting their operations online to access new markets and fresh opportunities.

“This commitment from Sky to create a simpler, better broadband experience for small businesses will make a real difference to many, and it is great that more than 1,000 jobs will be created as a result too.”

The launch of Sky Connect has already led to the creation of 200 new jobs, including over 100 in its Leeds contact & operations centre, and will lead to the creation of up to 1000 more in sales, service and in head-office over the next few years.

To ensure that Sky Connect represents small businesses and the communities they serve, the business will align to Sky’s representation targets: 20% of employees will be from Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic background by 2025, with at least a quarter of these to be Black.

Since Sky joined Comcast in 2018, the two companies have worked closely together on improving their customer offerings by sharing technologies, experiences, knowledge, skills and content. Comcast’s deep experience in delivering innovative broadband and telephone products and services to small, medium and enterprise-sized businesses through Comcast Business in the United States was utilized for the formation of Sky Connect. Comcast Business today is one of the leading providers of broadband to businesses with over two million customers and more than 15 years of sector experience. Comcast Business’ award-winning portfolio of connectivity, communications, security and video solutions and services set the foundation for Sky Connect’s new offerings.

Sky Connect will provide businesses with a choice of three ‘Business Advantage’ packages that feature combinations of the following products and services:

• Superfast broadband with speeds up to 76 Mbps
• Secure 4G backup enabling business continuity in case of a broadband outage
• Business grade phone solution with 24 call management features^* & unlimited UK calling included as standard in all packages
• Private WiFi providing secure internet access
• Public WiFi available as an add-on service
• Phishing and malware protection to protect against malicious websites
• International call packs enabling calls to 48 countries, fixed & mobile
• Static IP available for businesses that prefer to host their own servers

All Sky Connect services are delivered with a service wrap that includes:

• Professional installation - 200 specially trained Sky engineers providing optimised installations
• Dedicated business call centre located in Leeds
• 30-day money back guarantee
• No in-contract price rises
• Simplified and transparent billing
• No hassle cancellation policy
• Flexible 12, 24 and 36-month contracts with no impact to package rate

Sky Connect will operate on a net zero carbon basis by 2030 as part of Sky’s commitment to go zero: https://www.skygroup.sky/sky-zero

For more information please contact:

To find out more and sign up to Sky Connect’s services visit: www.skyconnect.uk

Charlotte Mitchell, Head of PR & Communications, Sky Connect: charlotte.mitchell2@sky.uk

For Sky Connect imagery please visit Sky’s editorial asset centre.

Notes to editors 

1. Ofcom fixed broadband complaints per 100,000 customers/connections: Q4 2010 - Q3 2020, by quarter

*VoiceEdge: 24 call management features:

1. Simultaneous ring
2. Sequential ring
3. Call Forward
4. Call Forward when busy
5. Call Forward no answer
6. Call Forward not reachable
7. Voicemail
8. Voicemail message waiting alert
9. Anon Reject
10. Call Barring
11. Call Waiting
12. Do not Disturb
13. Hunt Group Sequential
14. Hunt Group Simultaneous
15. 3WC
16. Call return
17. Call Transfer
18. Last number redial
19. Caller Line ID Blocking
20. Caller ID delivery inbound
21. Caller ID delivery outbound
22. Inbound outbound dialling
23. Extension dialling
24. Regulatory Compliance

About Sky

Sky is Europe’s leading media and entertainment company and is proud to be part of the Comcast group. Across six countries, we connect our 24 million customers to the best entertainment, sports, news, arts and to our own award-winning original content.

Our technology, including the market leading Sky Q, connects people to everything they love – with entertainment from Sky TV, Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video and BBC iPlayer, and apps like Spotify, YouTube, BBC Sounds, Highbrow, Fiit, and more, in one place, easy. Our streaming service, NOW, brings viewers all the enjoyment of Sky with the flexibility of a contract-free service.

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We believe that we can be a force for good in the communities in which we operate. We’re committed to being Europe’s first net zero carbon entertainment company by 2030 and we’re proud to be a Principal Partner and Media Partner of COP26. We take pride in our approach to diversity and inclusion: we’ve been recognised by The Times and Stonewall for our commitment to diversity and we’ve set ambitious 2025 targets to continue to increase diversity and representation. We’re also committed to investing £30million across our markets over three years to improve our approach to diversity and inclusion, and to tackle racial injustice.