Cuckoo Broadband review
By Phil Wilkinson-Jones | Friday, June 24th 2022
When it comes to broadband providers, Cuckoo Broadband is very much the new kid on the block. The newcomer has openly said it wants to challenge the big boys and make broadband simple.
Cuckoo Broadband says it has “the last broadband deal you’ll ever need”, so let’s take a look and see how it measures up. We’ll look at the speeds you can expect, what router is included in the package and pretty much everything else we know about Cuckoo Broadband.
Is Cuckoo Broadband a good choice?
What we like
- Simple packages
- Ultrafast option
- Choice of contract length
- High set-up cost
- No extras
- No call bundles
What we don't like
Cuckoo Broadband has set out to do things a bit differently and we like the cut of their jib, but with such a simple offering, it is not going to be for everyone.
Pros
The simplicity of Cuckoo’s offering makes it easy to understand and the three speeds on offer will be enough for most households to do everything they want to do online. Customers wanting an ultrafast option will be pleased to see the 900Mbps speed available. The other big positives come from the fact that there are no long 18-month or two-year contracts. Cuckoo offers broadband on either a 12-month contract, or on a monthly rolling contract.
Cuckoo also takes 1% of each bill and uses it to help bring connectivity to places that need it most, like conflict zones, natural disaster sites and developing communities. That’s a nice touch.
Cons
If you’re hoping for a broadband deal that includes a freebie such as some tech, a cashback voucher, mobile data or subscription to a streaming service then you’ll be disappointed. Cuckoo has put its stock into a deal that doesn’t give you massive discounts or extras up front, but nor will it hit you with an enormous price hike two years down the line.
Cuckoo charges a £60 set-up fee with its no-contract option, which is comparable to other packages offered on a no-contract basis, but more than you would pay for an 18-month contract with other providers.
Although Cuckoo packages do come with a landline, there is no option to bolt on a calls package, so if you do make calls, you will be charged extra each month.
Cuckoo Broadband – an overview
These are the things you need to know about Cuckoo Broadband at a glance.
Download speeds | 80Mb, 115Mb, 900Mb |
---|---|
Upload speeds | 15Mb, 20Mb, 115Mb |
Broadband | Fibre |
Home Phone | Yes |
Packages available | Broadband and phone |
Router | Technicolor Wi-Fi Hub |
Contract length | One month, 12 months |
Prices from | £29.99 per month |
Average Cuckoo Broadband speeds
Cuckoo Broadband offers three download speeds averaging 67Mbps, 98Mbps and 900Mbps. The entry-level speed of 67Mbps puts it in line with the top widely available packages offered by BT, Sky, TalkTalk, EE and many others, which also all run on the openreach network. At the top end, the ultrafast 900Mbps package is also offered by a number of other providers.
The middle package of 98Mbps is a great compromise between the two other speeds, and is an ideal speed for homes running several devices at once. Netflix states that you need at least 25Mbps to stream in 4K UHD so Cuckoo customers won’t have a problem with whichever package they buy.
Cuckoo Broadband packages
Cuckoo Broadband offers three packages offering three different speeds, advertised as 80Mbps, 115Mbps and 900Mbps. The packages are technically classed as broadband and phone deals as there is a landline included, but note that there is no option to add a calls package so you’ll have to pay extra for any calls you make. Caller display and 1571 are free however.
Average Cuckoo Broadband upload speeds
For most internet users, download speed is far more important than upload speed as download speeds have a bigger bearing on how easy it is to stream, download apps or browse the web. But if you play online games, or if you work from home and have to upload large files or videos, then having a decent upload speed is vital.
Cuckoo’s slowest broadband package offers an average upload speed of around 15Mbps, which should be more than enough for most households even if there are multiple people using the internet at the same time. If you want more, then it’s worth plumping for the mid-range speed, which comes with an average upload of 20Mbps or the top speed of 900Mbps, which comes with an upload speed of 115Mbps.
Routers and installation
Router
Like most providers, Cuckoo sends you a free router when you sign up to its broadband deals. In this case the router in question is a Technicolor Wi-Fi Hub (model number DWA0122 for the router nerds out there). Cuckoo says it will give you a strong, fast, reliable wifi signal and has been optimised for its network. It’s a dual-band router with next-generation wifi technology and will automatically move devices onto the best frequency depending on how far from the router they are.
A good security step is the fact that Cuckoo routers don’t come with a pre-generated wifi name and password. You set your own when you sign up.
Installation
On average it’ll take around two weeks to get your broadband service up and running after signing up to Cuckoo, although in some cases you can choose to pay an extra £40 for a 24-hour installation, known as Eggspress Wi-Fi. Your router will arrive in the post and in most cases there’s no engineer needed, so you simply need to plug in your router and follow the instructions to get started.
If you’re switching from another provider that uses the Openreach broadband network, such as BT, Sky, TalkTalk, EE or Vodafone, then you won’t have to inform them that you’re leaving – Cuckoo Broadband will do that for you. If you’re leaving Virgin Media it’s a bit different because Virgin operates its own network. In this case you’ll need to tell Virgin yourself.
Customer service with Cuckoo Broadband
Although Cuckoo is a relatively new broadband provider, it has already been voted top for customer service twice in a row on MoneySavingExpert.com, with a rating of 9.7/10. Cuckoo seems to be doing extremely well on the customer service front, with a UK-based support team and a good score on Trustpilot as well (which isn’t the case for many broadband providers).
If you’re not ready to switch to Cuckoo just yet but like the look of them, you can choose a go-live date up to 24 months away. You go through the sign-up process but won’t be charged the set-up cost until about two weeks before your chosen date, at which time the actual switching process begins.
Our verdict
There’s always a degree of risk involved with switching broadband providers and especially so to one so new to the industry. That said, there’s a lot to like about Cuckoo’s offer and the fact that it has already won recognition for outstanding customer service is reassuring. In addition, having the option to sign up to a one-month rolling contract, so you can leave at any time without paying an exit fee, makes Cuckoo a pretty appealing provider.