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Freesat from Sky
Everyone knows the satellite TV company that has now grown into a telecommunications giant offering not only digital TV, but also broadband and home phone lines. Its speciality is still TV though, and now it is bringing you freesat - a new service where you pay a one off fee to receive free-to-view channels via a Sky satellite dish.
Freesat is not just Freeview via satellite as many people think. Although it covers off all the Freeview channels, and there is no monthly subscription, there are far more channels available and you can upgrade to a subscription any time you want because you’ll already have all the equipment.
If you already have digital satellite equipment then you can buy a freesat viewing card for just £20.
Why should I get it?
There are two main attractions to freesat; the number of channels available and the fact that it covers much more of the UK than Freeview. If you live in an area that’s not yet covered by Freeview but want to switch to digital TV without committing to a subscription then freesat from Sky’s 98 per cent UK coverage will appeal to you.
It also offers customers up to 200 channels, whereas Freeview currently offers a maximum of around 44, depending on where you live.
What do I need?
Because freesat is available to 98 per cent of the UK it’s very unlikely that you won’t be covered. So all you need to do is arrange for an engineer to visit your home and install your Sky box and dish. In most cases they will also connect the service to your phone line so that you can take advantage of their interactive services such as email and online shopping through your TV.
How much does it cost?
You make a one off payment of £150 to cover installation, connection and hardware and that’s it. There are no monthly subscriptions to pay but if you want to upgrade to Sky’s mixes at any point, you can. If you already have Sky digital satellite equipment then you will just need to buy a freesat viewing card for £20.
To compare freesat from Sky against other digital TV suppliers click here, or to see what channels you get with freesat, click on a package in our Price Comparison Calculator.
