Today Sky announces Sky Mobile, its new mobile network that offers something entirely different for the UK mobile market. For the first time ever, mobile phone owners will be able to keep their unused data for up to three years, to be redeemed whenever they like, and have the flexibility to change their plan every month. Additionally, Sky TV customers will enjoy even greater value with both free UK calls and texts with any Sky Mobile plan, plus the ability to sync with their Sky+ box.

UK consumers use on average less than half of the mobile data they buy every month, wasting an estimated £2 billion each year*. For the typical pay monthly subscriber, that's over £50 a year spent on unused data, which they lose each month while still paying the same monthly fee. With Sky Mobile, a customer's data will be theirs to keep.

By drawing on extensive consumer research, Sky Mobile has been designed to reflect the way consumers use their phones today, focusing on offering flexibility, great value and ensuring that customers don't waste money paying for data they don't use or need.

Sky Mobile will give customers the most flexible mobile service in the market, offering greater choice and value every month through a combination of four key features:

  • Roll - customers can roll over any unused data into their online 'piggybank' each month, to use whenever they need for up to three years
  • Mix - customers can create a plan that's right for them, which they can change every month
  • Save - Sky TV customers don't have to pay for UK calls or texts with any Sky Mobile data plan, in one of Sky's most significant deals ever offered
  • Sync- Sky TV customers can create their personal playlists of favourite shows, synced from their Sky box at home, to watch wherever they are

Stephen van Rooyen, UK and Ireland Chief Executive, said:

'We felt it was time to shake up the mobile market and give customers a completely new way to manage their mobile plan - something no one else is offering. We've designed it based on what people told us they want - it's easy, flexible and transparent and it puts the customer in control. With £2 billion being wasted each year on unused data in the UK, Sky Mobile customers will only pay for what they use. Plus we're giving Sky TV customers a fantastic offer which will allow them to get even more value from their subscriptions. It's time for people to have a smart new way to manage their mobile contract.'

Pre-registrations for Sky Mobile have already reached over 46,000 and customers can continue to register at www.sky.com/getmobile. Sales for Sky Mobile SIM only contracts start in mid-December to existing customers and those who have pre-registered. A full market launch will begin in the New Year. Later in 2017, Sky Mobile will expand its offering to include the best handsets from Apple and Samsung, as well as from other providers to be confirmed nearer the time.
Further Sky Mobile details:

Roll: the data you buy is yours to keep

Most data allowances mean customers will either pay for more data than they use, or overpay for add-ons if they go over their monthly allowance. Sky Mobile's 'Roll' has the answer. At the end of every month, any unused data will be automatically rolled over into each customer's online store - known as a customer's 'piggybank' - to be kept and used instantly whenever they need in the future.

Sky Mobile will be the only mobile service that lets customers keep unused data for up to three years and there is no limit to the amount that can be stored. If a customer runs out of data during the month or knows they are going to be using more than usual, it'll be simple to redeem some data from their piggybank to use when they like. In addition, families can take up to five SIMs and share any unused data stored in their piggybank.

Mix: create a plan that's just right for you and change it whenever you like

Today, mobile customers are often locked into long-term contracts with inflexible data, call and text packages that don't change when their needs do. For Sky Mobile customers, if they need more or less data, or calls and texts, it'll be easy to change their plan every month through a feature called 'Mix'. The flexibility means for the first time in the UK, customers will only pay for what they need each month.

Save: Sky TV customers don't have to pay for UK calls or texts with any of our data plans

Sky TV customers will benefit from one of Sky's most significant ever deals with free Unlimited Calls and Texts within the UK. Each household can register up to five SIMs, generating an annual saving of up to £600 a year on their Sky Mobile bill.

In addition, Sky+ customers choosing to take Sky Mobile will receive Sky Go Extra for free, saving them a further £60 a year.

Sync: create your own personal playlist of favourite shows to watch wherever you are

With Sky Mobile, for the first time Sky+ customers will be able to access their TV recordings from their Sky box at home on their phone. This feature is called 'Sync', and will allow customers to create their own personal playlist of shows they love to watch, wherever they are. Customers can stream programmes over 4G or simply download over Wi-Fi to watch later, without the need for an internet connection or using up their data.

Sky Mobile customers with Sky+ will get Sky Go Extra included at no extra cost, enabling them to enjoy Sync on up to four devices. Unlimited Sky WiFi is available in thousands of popular places across the UK, where customers can enjoy their recordings without using their own data. This mobile entertainment service is available for Sky+ customers at launch, with the functionality coming for customers with a Sky Q box next year.

Pricing

Sky Mobile comes with three simple data plans - 1GB for £10 per month, 3GB for £15 per month and 5GB for £20 per month. Non Sky TV customers can add on Unlimited Calls and Texts for £10 per month, or simply pay for calls and texts on a Pay As You Use (PAYU) basis, meaning they don't pay for inclusive calls and texts they don't need. Sky Mobile will be the only monthly provider that gives customers this flexibility.

Anyone who wants to update their package during the month can do so easily via My Sky online.

Data and contract length

Customers will have complete flexibility in managing their own data allowance, by either changing their plan to add more data at any time, by redeeming data from their piggybank, or buying a 1GB 'Add On'. Customers will be notified when they've used their monthly data via text message and any extra data they've redeemed or added can be used straight away.

Sky Mobile plans are 12 month contracts, with customers free to change their Mix of data, calls and texts every month.

Pre-registration for SIM only Sky Mobile contracts - compatible with all phones - is now open at www.sky.com/getmobile

For further information, please contact:

For media:

Nicola Marshall

nicola.marshall@sky.uk

Eleanor Mills

eleanor.mills@sky.uk

About Sky

Sky is Europe's leading entertainment company, serving 22 million customers across five countries: UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria and Italy. We offer the best and broadest range of content, deliver market-leading customer service and use innovative new technology to give customers a better TV experience, whenever and wherever they choose.

Sky has annual revenues of £12 billion and is Europe's leading investor in television content with a combined programming budget of £5.2 billion. The group employs 30,000 people and is listed on the London Stock Exchange (SKY).

Notes to editors

  • UK mobile market is currently valued at £15 billion
  • 12 month minimum term applies
  • Roll: Customers can redeem rolled-over data in 1GB increments. Data in piggybank expires after three years
  • Mix: Downgrades are effective in the month following selection
  • Save: Free unlimited calls and texts will end on cancellation of TV subscription and standard published prices will apply
  • Sync: Sky TV customers with a compatible Sky+ box only (see sky.com/compatible). Not compatible with Sky Q. Selected content only. Sync recordings on home broadband. Cached view available out of home. Sky+ and Sky Go apps required. UK/Ireland only. Concurrent online viewing on two devices. Two downloads per programme. Content deleted from device 48 hours after viewing starts or no later than 30 days after download. Compatible device and software requirements at sky.com/skygodevices

APPENDIX: CUSTOMER INSIGHT

Extensive customer research, involving 30,000 participants, took place in creating Sky Mobile. Throughout our research, people told us they are often feeling restricted by their long-term mobile contracts which do not allow them to change their plans or adjust their allowances. We were frequently told that people want a network provider who works with them - doesn't make them pay for things they don't need, or charges them excessive amounts if they happen to use their phone more than they expect in any month.

Below is a selection of the key insights behind the creation of Sky Mobile:

How customers use their mobiles today

  • Four out of five adults now have a smartphone in the UK, rising to 91% among 18-44 year olds¹
  • UK citizens collectively look at their smartphones over one billion times a day¹
  • It is estimated that around 30% of people do not make standard voice calls in any given week¹
  • 83% of data traffic on smartphones in the UK is via Wi-Fi, and growing²
  • People tend to sign up for higher data allowances than they actually need, to avoid the expense and inconvenience of running out - on average, less than half of data purchased is actually used in a month³

Developing Roll

  • More than 50% of data bought in the UK goes unused
  • This lost data is worth around £2 billion per year - over £50 per subscriber
  • Customers are often over-paying for peace of mind, wanting to avoid extortionate out-of-bundle penalties and the inconvenience of running out of data. People often recognise they are over-paying for data packages but can't see an alternative

Developing Mix

  • People are often confused, overwhelmed or simply apathetic when it comes to choosing a mobile plan - there's a bewildering array of options to choose from, which are often rigid and restrictive
  • With 30% of people no longer making standard voice calls¹, we're providing the market's only contract PAYU option- people don't need to pay for inclusive calls and texts that they don't need
  • With people also often paying for unnecessarily large data allowances they will never actually use, our flexible data plans mean they are never overcharged

Developing 'Sync'

  • 40% of mobile users now use their phone to watch video content
  • Video is already estimated at 60% of total consumption on mobiles

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Sky plc published this content on 29 November 2016 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein.
Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 29 November 2016 18:08:05 UTC.

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