Cuckoo Broadband

First hatched as a start-up in 2019, Cuckoo broadband has wasted no time in establishing itself as a customer-focused Internet Service Provider (ISP) – with awards already been awarded ‘top broadband provider for customer service’ twice in a row by MoneySavingExpert.

They’re also one of the only providers that offers no-contract broadband.

Overview

Average Download Speeds	67Mbps – 900Mbps
Average Upload Speeds	8Mbps – 115Mbps
Type of broadband	Standard Fibre (FTTC)/Full Fibre (FTTP)
Home Phone	Yes
TV/Entertainment Bundles	No
Cost	from £29.99 per month

Cuckoo broadband packages and speeds

Cuckoo offers three broadband packages: ‘Fast’, ‘Really Fast’ and ‘Eggceptional’.

Cuckoo’s base package, ‘Fast’, offers average download speeds of 67Mbps and uses BT’s Openreach network to deliver a ‘Fibre to the Cabinet’ (FTTC) internet connection. Although the connection uses fibre optic cables from the exchange to the cabinet, copper telephone wires are required for the distance from the cabinet to your home. As such, your download speeds may be slower depending on how far your property is situated from the cabinet. For FTTC, a landline connection is required, but Cuckoo will include this in your monthly cost.

The next two options, ‘Really Fast’ and ‘Eggceptional’ have average download speeds of 100Mbps and 900Mbps respectively, with both packages using ‘Fibre to the Premises’ (FTTP) broadband.

Because ‘Really Fast’ and ‘Eggceptional’ are full fibre – meaning you won’t need to rely on copper telephone wires – you’ll have access to the fastest and most reliable type of broadband available. Be aware, however, that as FTTP broadband is not yet widely rolled out across the UK, whether you’ll be eligible for either package will depend on where you live.

Contract length

Cuckoo offers its three broadband options on either a 12-month or monthly rolling contract. Although the price is the same whether you choose to go contracted or not, there is a one-off installation fee of £60 which is applied if you opt for their broadband service on a month-to-month basis.

If you do go for the 12-month contract option and decide to leave early, you will be charged a £60 early exit fee.

No price rise guarantee

Usually, once your contract with a broadband provider comes to an end, what you pay each month will go up, often by a significant amount.

However, through it’s ‘no price rise guarantee’ Cuckoo promises that what you pay each month will remain the same, even after your contract ends.

The Cuckoo Compass

Every month, Cuckoo takes 1% of your bill and directs it to their service known as the Cuckoo Compass.

The money is passed on to charity partner, Jangala, whose aim is to help struggling individuals and families across the UK get access to the internet. They also help get internet to vulnerable people and places around the world that are in dire need of a connection, including conflict zones, natural disaster sites, refugee camps, schools, and health centres.

Cuckoo estimates that for every 60 bills, it is able to cover the cost for internet access for a student and their family for an entire month.

Does Cuckoo broadband have a landline phone package?

Although Cuckoo internet includes phone line rental with its base package, there are no options for a call package.

Upload speeds

Cuckoo’s starter package offers upload speeds of 8Mbps, which is adequate for most homes. However, if you regularly upload content such as videos and photos to YouTube or Instagram, or game online, you may be better suited to either the ‘Really Fast’ or ‘Eggceptional’ packages. These offer average upload speeds of 20Mbps and 115Mbps respectively.

Router

Whether you go for a 12-month or monthly-rolling contract, Cuckoo sends all its new customers the same DWA0122 Technicolour Wi-Fi Hub router.

On its functionality, Cuckoo states it: “cancels out background interference to keep your devices connected in more areas of your home…it also dynamically shifts you onto the best frequency depending on how close you are to the router”.

Installation

Once signed-up, it will take around two weeks to get your broadband service fully up and running.

If you’re switching to Cuckoo from another provider also on BT’s Openreach network, Cuckoo will let them know you’re leaving. But if you’re coming over from a provider not on the network, you’ll need to inform them yourself.

Installation fees are waived for customers opting for the 12-month contracted option.

Eggspress Wifi

To help get you connected faster (within 24 hours), Cuckoo offers an “Eggspress Wifi” option. For an extra £40, you’ll be rush shipped the Eggspress Wi-Fi dongle, together with your free router. The dongle plugs into your router to give you an interim 4G connection until you’re fully set-up with fibre broadband.

Cuckoo broadband customer service

For customer service, Cuckoo utilises an online messaging service through its site, where the team is online weekdays 10am-4pm. Customers can also reach out via email at hello@cuckoo.co.

Cuckoo operates a specialised phone service for technical faults (0203 389 7211), operating from 10am – 4pm Monday thru Friday.

This ISP has also been voted best for customer service twice in a row by MoneySavingExpert.com, boasting an average customer satisfaction rating of 9.7/10.

Pros and Cons

Pros

No contract

Cuckoo broadband is one of the only providers that gives its customers a choice of a 30-day rolling contract with monthly prices the same as a 12-month deal.

This makes it a great option for those who want flexibility at an affordable price.

No frills broadband

Cuckoo is upfront with its customers about what to expect with its packages and pricing. It’s simple broadband-only deals are a great choice for those just wanting fast broadband with transparent pricing.

Cons

No bundles

Conversely, there are unfortunately no options for those who would prefer to bundle their broadband together with multiple telecoms services.