© 2025 News On The Block. All rights reserved.
News on the Block is a trading name of Premier Property Media Ltd.
© 2025 News On The Block. All rights reserved.
News on the Block is a trading name of Premier Property Media Ltd.
television fans take for granted advanced functionality such as the ability to pause and rewind live television, record two or more shows at once, or access programmes on demand. However, until recently some apartment residents have not enjoyed an equal status with regard to being able to use such features to their full extent.
This is about to change with the introduction of a new and innovative Single Cable Solution (SCS), officially launched by Sky at ARMA’s 18th Annual Conference. This will provide landlords and managing agents with a simple and cost-effective means of upgrading existing communal TV systems.
Brendan Hegarty, Head of Sky Communal TV said, “We received feedback from managing agents and consumers expressing their frustration that apartment residents with communal television can’t access the latest TV functions and services.
Previously, you could only put a single signal down a single cable. Over the last few years any new system we have put in would be a dual feature system with twin cables and twin signals that gives the full Sky+. However, this would not work with legacy systems in buildings that only have one cable and that would cause an issue.
The SCS does what the new dual cable system would do but keeps the single cable intact. There is no extra disruption to the building and no extra cabling required. Its a simple piece of kit which is installed by replacing the switch gear at the communal head end, allowing the signal to flow through the existing single-cable, and fitting a ‘smart splitter’ for each flat wanting to upgrade.”
The SCS is also particularly suitable for buildings where cabling is not allowed or internal cabling is inaccessible, such as in conservation or Listed buildings. It can also apply to aerial systems which do not have currently have satellite TV.
As Brendan explained, “This is not about putting another system in place but upgrading a perfectly good one to keep the technology up to date.”
Sky have already acquired over 1 million communal TV customers and are confident the new SCS will attract new customers with some generous offers in place to do so. “We are offering flexible subsidies to managing agents to make sure it is affordable”, said Brendan.