Sky scraps broadband download limit

Sky has dropped the download limit for its 16Mbps broadband service in answer to customer demand for "unlimited" broadband.

According to the company, it has removed the Fair Usage Policy from its Sky Broadband Max product because customers said they wanted to download as much as they wished.

In a statement, Sky said: "Customers have told us that they want "unlimited" broadband to be exactly that, so we’ve acted on their feedback. What this means is that, if you’re a Sky Broadband Max customer, you're free to download as much as you want, whenever you want."

Sky Max is only available to customers living within Sky's local loop unbundled (LLU) area.

Michael Phillips of Broadband Choices said: "We welcome the announcement, however there are still Ts and Cs to protect Sky, so there is still a grey area. Users should measure their own typical usage before choosing any ISP's package, rather than choosing based upon ‘marketing rhetoric’."

"ISPs like Sky, Bethere and O2 are in a much better position to offer ‘unlimited’ deals via the ADSL+2 technology, so if you are a heavy downloader these packages will work for you."

Sky has also said it wants to avoid being a broadband provider that caps speeds during peak times. It said it is "making a commitment to customers taking our Base, Mid or Max products that we will not slow down their connection speeds at peak times".

The provider added: "Where data caps do apply, we are clear and up front about them. And even on our other broadband products, the only limitation is a clearly defined data cap. So customers know exactly what they are getting for their money."

Sky Broadband was voted top broadband provider in a survey by comparison site Broadband Choices which asked web users to rate the performance of their ISP. Sky came out on top in six satisfaction categories, which covered topics including download times, value for money and after-sales support.