February 10, 2026, 9:27 am | Read time: 3 minutes
For many Sky customers using Vodafone’s cable network, reception is fundamentally changing. Numerous channels are disappearing from the traditional cable signal and moving to the internet. At the same time, the program offering is expanding, and Sky is gaining new technical freedoms. TECHBOOK has the details.
Sky Deutschland has gradually switched the traditional cable reception in the Vodafone network to internet-based television (IPTV). From now on, a large portion of the channels included in the Sky subscription will no longer be broadcast via the previously used DVB-C signal but will be available exclusively through IPTV. This only affects customers who use Sky via the Vodafone cable network.
To continue receiving the affected programs, an internet-capable Sky Q or Sky Stream receiver is required. Users of older reception devices were previously contacted and offered options to switch to modern Sky boxes. However, those already using a compatible device with internet connectivity will not notice the change.
IPTV Brings New Channels–and Advantages for Sky
As part of the transition, Sky is expanding the channel offering for Vodafone customers. Six programs, previously available only to satellite customers, will now also be fed into the cable network via IPTV. These include:
- Cartoon Network
- Crime+Investigation
- Heimatkanal
- Jukebox
- Motorvision+
- Nicktoons
Additionally, starting March 3, the following programs will be upgraded from SD to HD: Cartoonito, History Channel, Nick Junior, RomanceTV, WarnerTV Comedy, and WarnerTV Film.
Not all channels are affected by the transition. Sky confirmed to “Digitalfernsehen” that primarily the Sky sports channels, including the UHD version of Sky Sport, will continue to be available through the traditional cable network.
With the IPTV strategy, the company is pursuing a consistent path that began in 2025 with the transition of the Nat Geo Wild channel. According to Sky, IPTV allows for greater flexibility, additional capacities, and technical innovations such as interactive formats or alternative camera perspectives.
Vodafone Clears the Frequency Spectrum
The transition at Sky is part of a larger frequency reorganization by Vodafone. In September 2025, the company announced plans to unify the nationwide fragmented frequency spectrum to enable higher internet speeds without major investments.
DVB-C occupies broad frequency ranges in the cable network, while IPTV only requires bandwidth when actively used. The areas freed up by the TV transition–particularly in the spectrum at 330 MHz–are to be used for DOCSIS 3.1 with OFDM modulation in the future. This is a modern transmission standard for cable internet over coaxial cable, used by cable network operators to enable very high data rates and a more stable connection. Vodafone plans to complete this measure by mid-2026.