SKY: WE ARE NOT DITCHING THE DISH

But move online signals end for satellite eyesores

SKY television last night reassured subscribers that they have no plans to ditch their satellite dishes.

Reports yesterday suggested the TV giants had taken a step towards ending services received via dishes on customers’ homes.

It followed Sky’s announcement of a roll-out of a fibre-optic broadband service in Italy and Austria.

The prospect of dishes becoming obsolete had sparked concerns in Scotland’s rural communities. Some areas can be affected by poor broadband reception, leaving dishes the best option to watch Sky channels.

Sky said any expansion of their services provided through the internet would not signal the demise of the dishes.

Chief executive Jeremy Darroch said, “It would be incorrect to characterise this as a ‘shift away from satellites’ to IP delivery – we are continuing both and both remain important to how we deliver content.” A Sky spokeswoman added that no time frame had been set for the roll-out of similar fibre-optic broadband services in the UK. Satellite dishes have been an issue for many people, with critics branding them a “blot on the urban landscape”. Experts have suggested that the move to fibre-optic broadband could attract the six million UK households who either don’t want or can’t get a dish. Sky boss Jeremy Darroch said: “This is the first time we’ve been able to offer the full Sky TV service without a satellite dish. It is a big moment.” Comparison website Broadband Genie’s Rob Hilborn added: “This potentially opens services to new customers who were unable to access Sky’s satellite service as they no longer need permission to install a dish, which is an eyesore.”