Do I need a landline for Sky broadband?

Dan Howdle | November 21st, 2023

As physical landlines slowly become extinct, with more and more of us relying on our mobiles for calls, it begs the question: What will happen to broadband which still relies on a physical phoneline to be connected to your home? Different providers are evolving their own answer to this question as time goes on. Sky's tack, as with other major providers, is somewhat unique.

But the answer isn't just a simple yes or no – this would be a very short guide if it was. It depends on the broadband deal you choose from Sky as to whether you must have a landline, or indeed if you can get one at all. And on those you must, do you even have to connect a phone to it? Allow us to explain.

How it works

Let's make one thing clear, first off. If you have a broadband package that's not so-called 'Full Fibre', you're going to need a phone line coming into your home. That's absolutely true of Sky, so if you're not living somewhere full fibre is available (and about three in four of us aren't) you will definitely be getting a phone line with your Sky Broadband.

Meanwhile, it's worth considering that while you need a landline for both ADSL and FTTC broadband packages, you don't need on for Sky FTTP. Here's what that means:

• ADSL: The oldest and slowest broadband technology available in the UK (and being phased out). It averages 10-11Mbps and is delivered over the old copper telephone network. It is now generally only offered in cases where it's the only think you can get where you live, which would account for about 0.2% of customers
• FTTC: 'Fibre to the cabinet' has for many years been referred to as 'superfast' broadband'. It averages 36-65Mbps and is delivered to the cabinet in your street by fast fibre-optic cables, and then between the cabinet and your home on slow copper phone cables
• FTTP: 'Fibre to the premises' is fibre-optic cable all the way. Currently providers, including TalkTalk, who offer 'Full Fibre' as it's also known do so via the Openreach network and deliver speeds of up to 900Mbps. Full Fibre is, sadly, only available currently to around a quarter of UK homes

Here's an overview of how broadband-only works on Sky broadband:

So do I need a landline or not?

If you look at the table above, there are a few things need explaining here. If you're getting a Sky Broadband package that's not Full Fibre – I.E. It's 61Mbps or slower, then yes, you will need to have a phone line in order to deliver that. As standard, Sky will deliver that on a 'pay as you go' calls basis. So, if you don't use it or better don't even plug a phone into it, then you won't be charged anything extra for that.

The story gets more interesting when you take out a Full Fibre deal with Sky – I.E. a broadband connection that's 100Mbps or faster. Because full fibre means a digital-only line, but Sky has a rather snazzy router that will convert that line to work with any landline phone you'd care to plug into it. What you get is VoIP – voice over IP – or a 'digital' line that works just like an analogue one (the type you're probably used to). You get your own phone number or to keep your old one, and this is great. Well done Sky!

As with an analogue line from Sky that comes with its FTTC broadband packages, you don't have to use it if you don't want to, and if you don't use it or don't plug a phone in, you won't be charged anything extra.

Sky line rental

Line rental isn't something we need to worry about anymore. If you're getting a mandatory phone line with your FTTC or ADSL broadband deal, the price of the line is rolled into the price you see. If you're getting a Full Fibre (FTTP) packages, which uses a data-only fibre line, there is no line such thing as line rental either. The price of what used to be termed 'line rental' is rolled into the price you see in all cases.