BT and Sky along with cable competitor Virgin are the only companies in the UK that can offer a completely bundled entertainment package that provides a phone line, broadband and digital TV service. They can make a great choice and a good budget option if you want to keep all three elements with the same company, but with so much choice available, how do you know which company comes out on top in a Sky vs BT battle? Deals and prices are always changing, so this article takes a look at the kind of service you’ll receive from both companies.

Phone: The phone line service is where you find the smallest amount of differences between BT and Sky. Both offer a variety of plans at similar prices, though it’s worth noting the sky uses Local Loop Unbundling (LLU) technology. While this makes little to no difference in price of quality, it does mean that if you choose to leave Sky and what to reconnect your phone to BT, you’ll be paying for the privilege. On the other hand if you want to leave BT and choose another provider, it’s unlikely you’ll run into any costs.

TV: Sky has been offering satellite television in the UK for many years, so it’s got a headstart on the BT service, BT Vision, which using the phone line to provide television over broadband services. It’s hard to compare the two services as Sky is a more traditional TV service that includes both on demand content and channels, while BT Vision is essentially an on-demand only service. Both offer a wide range of television and channels and compete on the budget level, but if you want to spend more on your TV, Sky have a vast array of content including HD and 3D movie channels and access to thousands of sports events every year. If TV is something you really want and choice is very important to you, Sky clearly beat BT but you’ll end up paying a much higher price for access to all that Sky offers.

Broadband: BT and Sky offer similar broadband packages and the speed which you’ll receive the broadband in your home has a lot more to do with your distance from your local telephone exchange than which company you use, so if speed is your only requirement then it matters little which company you pick. However, there’s more to a broadband line that just speed. It’s worth looking at the most recent customer reviews of both service to get an idea of what each company’s customer service is like and where common problems can be found. Also check out news and broadband comparison sites for news and information about BT and Sky that might help you make a decision. For example, BT are famous for ‘throttling’ speeds during peak times. Throttling means that BT may reduce the speed of your internet during busy periods in order to cope with the amount of people on the network at once.

As you can see, there’s a lot to think about when trying to choose between the two companies. Always take a look at the most recent customer reviews and news that you can find and search online for a list of channels and programmes available through the TV services so you don’t end up disappointed.