Sky has confirmed plans to shut down UK Online, its internet service provider (ISP) brand, in January 2011.
The move follows Sky's £100 million sale of Easynet, the ISP it acquired in 2005 - the UK Online business included - as a way to launch a consumer broadband service.
For the past five years, Sky has simultaneously operated residential internet services from Sky Broadband and UK Online, but it has now opted to focus solely on the former.
Sky said that it will contact all UK Online customers with information on how to switch providers before the ISP shuts down in January. It also intends to offer the customers six months of free Sky Broadband as an incentive to stay with Sky.
A Sky spokesperson said: "Since 2005 Sky has operated two residential broadband services, Sky Broadband and UK Online. To better serve customers now and into the future we are going to focus all our efforts on Sky Broadband, which allows us to offer higher quality, better value services.
"To ensure that UK Online customers enjoy uninterrupted broadband access, we are contacting them in plenty of time to provide clear advice on their options for finding a new broadband provider.
"This includes a very attractive offer to join Sky Broadband, which offers great value, truly unlimited downloads and the UK's most consistent speeds."
In financial results for the three months to September 30, Sky added 178,000 net new broadband subscribers, bringing its total base to 2.8m.
Further details for UK Online subscribers can be found here: http://www.ukonline.net
