Sky Q has expanded and improved greatly in the UK over the last couple of years, but there is still one major feature missing: Sky Q over broadband.

Announced back in 2017, the Sky Q IP service would negate the need for a satellite dish, for those who either cannot or do not want to have one installed.

Unfortunately though, it seems that plans to introduce it to the UK have been shelved. Not so Germany.

A Sky Q IP box has launched in the country that does exactly what was promised four years ago.

Sky Q IP box offers satellite TV via broadband, but only in Germany for now photo 2

It gives access to more than 80 TV channels streamed over the internet rather than broadcast via satellite. It also includes a similar app line-up to the existing Sky Q boxes, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+.

Subscriptions start at €12.50 per month and run for 12 months, after which time the contract can be cancelled.

As for the UK, Pocket-lint was told in the summer of 2020 that the focus for Sky is on regular improvements to its existing Sky Q satellite service, backed up by a renewed, redesigned Now streaming service for those who prefer their TV over broadband.

"We will move more and more of our services - like in how the product works - to be leveraged over IP," said Sky's group chief product officer, Fraser Stirling at the time.

"That will include some channels. You will find linear content, VOD content, and other experiences that are going to be IP based, with a really solid backbone: that hybrid delivery part, which is satellite. [It] is going to play a key part of our future for quite some time."