[noise747]

Rumours that bskyb may make a bid to buy talktalk


While it may seem like a good thing for people on Talk Talk who get a naff service, it is not really a good thing for the broadband market. Less competition is not a good thing.

I be surprised if it will be allowed to be honest.

But as it says on the article it is just rumours, but they normally have some sort of truth.

[vangeezer]

No naff service here,rock solid connection,nice and fast,the phone works all the time and just got lovefilm streaming free for 12 months.All rosy in my garden.

[ChipChomper]

if that happens i am so from Talktalk.
sky bought out Ukonline amazing ISP and they basically shut it down.
they told people they could be moved over to sky no problem but there was.
If you already had a phone line in the house and that was with sky they wouldnt allow another account.

[jjesso123]

What would happen with AOL ?

[Everything Goes]

Lets face it if Sky took over TalkTalk and sacked the whole customer services department then it would be a massive improvement

[madnes]

In my opinion this has been on the cards for some time.

Talk Talk closing call centres.

They do not allow customers to pick and choose the bill dates. The direct debit is taken around 3 working days after the bill is produced - Makes the balance sheets look good.

If this was to happen, Sky would then have a share in Youview?
Confiict of interest perhaps......

[carguy143]

This is news to me and i certainly wouldn't want to be with Sky.

Rik.

[darren221980]

No naff service here from TalkTalk either. However if Sky were to take over TalkTalk, i would be leaving them as soon as possible.

[derek500]

Originally Posted by madnes

If this was to happen, Sky would then have a share in Youview?
Confiict of interest perhaps......

They have a share in Freeview and that's not a problem.

[madnes]

Originally Posted by derek500

They have a share in Freeview and that's not a problem.

True enough.

[noise747]

I have heard nothing else about it yet and no news elsewhere, but as I said rumours have a habit of having some truth.

i know people say that they will move from Sky if it buys up Talk Talk, but to be honest where will you go? BT is useless and most people only got Sky or Talk Talk as a LLU provider.

There is one thing if it does happen, Talk Talk prices will rise as sky broadband without sky T.v is a bit more expensive, but you will get better customer service, just about.

but as I said not ideal, less choice again, the way it is going we will have the choice from three or four ISPs, because no doubt sky and Bt will try and knock the smaller ISPs out.

[neo_wales]

So long as I still get a fantastic connection for TT I don't care who buys it.

[PudpullerTM]

Originally Posted by noise747

I have heard nothing else about it yet and no news elsewhere, but as I said rumours have a habit of having some truth.

i know people say that they will move from Sky if it buys up Talk Talk, but to be honest where will you go? BT is useless and most people only got Sky or Talk Talk as a LLU provider.

There is one thing if it does happen, Talk Talk prices will rise as sky broadband without sky T.v is a bit more expensive, but you will get better customer service, just about.

but as I said not ideal, less choice again, the way it is going we will have the choice from three or four ISPs, because no doubt sky and Bt will try and knock the smaller ISPs out.

you cant have sky bb without their tv service

[captainkremmen]

Originally Posted by PudpullerTM

you cant have sky bb without their tv service

Are you sure?. I am pretty sure Sky changed their policy a year or two ago allowing customers to take broadband without the TV packages, at a slightly higher cost.

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by PudpullerTM

you cant have sky bb without their tv service

Incorrect http://www.sky.com/shop/bundles-offe...roadband-only/

[1andrew1]

This is one of the first articles on the subject
"BSkyB will have been shocked last month by BT’s decision to splash out £738 million to show 38 Premier League games a season, and the answer for the satellite broadcaster (down 0.5p to 687.8p), according to Liberum Capital’s Lawrence Sugarman, could be for it to make a play for TalkTalk."

http://www.standard.co.uk/business/b...g-7917310.html

[moox]

Apart from the customer base, what other reason would there be for Sky to do this? Don't they already own Easynet and have their own LLU exchange footprint from this? Buying TalkTalk and its infrastructure is near enough 100% duplication of what they already have, surely?

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by moox

Apart from the customer base, what other reason would there be for Sky to do this? Don't they already own Easynet and have their own LLU exchange footprint from this? Buying TalkTalk and its infrastructure is near enough 100% duplication of what they already have, surely?

1. Remove a potential threat from a rejuvenated competitor.
2. Stop a competitor buying TalkTalk - perhaps not BT or VM but someone like UPC with cable interests in Europe might be interested in buying it to launch an IPTV service.
3. Obtain a well-known value brand and operate it in the way that BT operates Plusnet.
4. Achieve economies by merging some elements of the two businesses.

[madnes]

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

1. Remove a potential threat from a rejuvenated competitor.
2. Stop a competitor buying TalkTalk - perhaps not BT or VM but someone like UPC with cable interests in Europe might be interested in buying it to launch an IPTV service.
3. Obtain a well-known value brand and operate it in the way that BT operates Plusnet.
4. Achieve economies by merging some elements of the two businesses.

I agree with all your points.

TalkTalk have 4.1 million customers, the average spend per customer is £25.00 makes sense to me in wanting to buy them.

[Everything Goes]

Are the people who are worried that Sky buying TalkTalk

1. Worried they will get a better ISP
2. Worried about increased costs
3. Worried about Murdcoh
4. Worried that their bill might be correct
5. Worried about getting though to better customer service department when they call
6. All of the above

[madnes]

TalkTalk have 4.1 customers, They must be doing something right.

My parents have been with them for years and they are more than happy with TalkTalk.

I had a few provisioning issues, Then suffered unstable speeds due to BTOR who could not repair the line. Hey Ho, TalkTalk credited the cessation fee's, refunded all payments to me and I switched to Virgin Media.

[madnes]

Originally Posted by noise747

I have heard nothing else about it yet and no news elsewhere, but as I said rumours have a habit of having some truth..

My opinion the sale of TalkTalk has been on the cards for while.

Originally Posted by noise747

I have heard nothing else i know people say that they will move from Sky if it buys up Talk Talk, but to be honest where will you go? BT is useless and most people only got Sky or Talk Talk as a LLU provider.

O2, Orange, Cable and Wireless re-sellers.Or Virgin Media / Small world cable. Still a few providers out their.

Originally Posted by noise747

There is one thing if it does happen, Talk Talk prices will rise as sky broadband without sky T.v is a bit more expensive, but you will get better customer service, just about.

Source? Sky have some really good deals at the moment on Boadband and Talk packages.
They may opt run TalkTalk in the same way Bt and Plusnet operate.

Originally Posted by noise747

but as I said not ideal, less choice again, the way it is going we will have the choice from three or four ISPs, because no doubt sky and Bt will try and knock the smaller ISPs out.

OFT would become involved if that was the case.

Why worry, you are with All pay broadband now. How are you getting on with them? Good speeds?

[1andrew1]

Unless Sky were able to argue:
i) That the market for broadband should include fixed and mobile broadband.
ii) Sky disposed of some TalkTalk broadband businesses.

It would be unlikely allowed to proceed with a purchase of TalkTalk as the combined company would have a market share of 36.2%, in excess of 29% which is normally the maximum market share allowed for takeovers.

According to Ofcom data, the market shares of home fixed broadband in excess of 3% are:
BT: 27.5%
VM: 21.5%
TT: 19.0%
Sky: 17.2%
Orange 3.7%
O2: 3.3%
Link: http://media.ofcom.org.uk/facts/

If Sky felt that TalkTalk was likelly to be a very big threat to it, then it might be tempted to buy it and sell of some customers, maybe the AOL ones. However, I don't think it's much of a threat to Sky. I think Sky would be better spending its money elsewhere or returning it to shareholders.

[wakey]

Originally Posted by Everything Goes

Lets face it if Sky took over TalkTalk and sacked the whole customer services department then it would be a massive improvement

You have never had to deal with Sky's Customer Support have you. They are a bunch of numptys of the highest order themselves so it wouldn't be any improvement

[CELT1987]

Originally Posted by Everything Goes

Are the people who are worried that Sky buying TalkTalk

1. Worried they will get a better ISP
2. Worried about increased costs
3. Worried about Murdcoh
4. Worried that their bill might be correct
5. Worried about getting though to better customer service department when they call
6. All of the above

Sky's customer service is just as bad as Talk Talk, so I doubt there would be any improvement there.