Sky broadband user quoted for 2,000 years worth of data usage

Sky Broadband user Mike Brunning received a nasty shock on his last monthly broadband statement, when he was quoted for millions of hours of data usage that he had never used.

According to the Sunderland Echo, the 64-year-old from Moorside, Sunderland, received an email from the broadband provider informing him he had exceeded his £10-per-month 10GB allowance. However, for the usage Mr Brunning was claimed to have used (a staggering 770,383,489 GB) he estimates he would have had to use his PC "non-stop for 2,000 years".

Speaking on the email, Mike Brunning told the newspaper: "I normally download the odd album, but most of the time I don't even use the 10GB I pay for." He added: "I thought the email was a bit funny. It said they were writing to let me know I'd gone over the 10GB broadband usage allowance. It said that if I went over my allowance again, they'd move me up to a new package that was more likely to suit my 'current level of usage'".

A spokesperson for Sky blamed a technical error for the Mr Brunning estimated usage, which turned out to be 1.8GB: "A system glitch or possible virus meant Mr Brunning was given a false reading of his broadband usage. We immediately realised this was an error and provided reassurance that Sky did not view this as an accurate reflection of his usage."

Has anything this bizarre ever happened to you with your broadband provider? Feel free to share your stories below.