Cuckoo Broadband review 2024: Is it any good?

Dan Howdle • August 1st, 2024

When it comes to broadband providers, Cuckoo Broadband is one of a clutch of new entries of the past few years. The relative newcomer has openly said it wants to challenge the big boys and make broadband simple.

Cuckoo Broadband says it has 'Full Fibre speeds and the best customer service you've ever had', so let’s take a look and see how it measures up. But here's an oddity, it only offers Full Fibre and nothing else, and added to that, it's less available than Full Fibre from the likes of BT, EE, Vodafone and all the others. That said, let's see what Cuckoo offers.

Is Cuckoo Broadband a good choice?

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. Cuckoo used to offer its packages with flexible contract lengths of one month, 12 months or 24 months. Now it's 12 months or 24 months only. We know why they did it – it's the way the wind is blowing – but it remains a downgrade on what the provider offered previously.

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.

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.

Overview

These are the things you need to know about Cuckoo Broadband at a glance.

Broadband speeds

Download speeds

Cuckoo Broadband offers three download speeds averaging 150Mbps, 500Mbps and 900Mbps. The entry-level speed of 150Mbps puts it in line with entry-level Full Fibre 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, and you can even get 1.6Gbps From EE or Vodafone if you live where it's available and are prepared to pay the premium.

The middle package of 500Mbps is a great compromise between the two other speeds, and is an ideal speed for busy households who never want to worry about hitting limits. 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.

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 speeds are symmetrical, which means your upload speed is the same as your download speed.

Broadband packages

Cuckoo Broadband offers three packages offering three different speeds, advertised as 150Mbps, 500Mbps 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.

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 an Amazon eero Pro 6E. Cuckoo says it will give you a strong, fast, reliable wifi signal and has been optimised for its network and they're not wrong. This router is an absolute powerhouse, offering the fastest wifi speeds out there, until Wi-Fi 7 comes along.

Installation

On average it’ll take around two weeks to get your broadband service up and running after signing up to Cuckoo. 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

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 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 twelve month contract is useful if you don't want to be tied in, even if that does come at a premium.

Cuckoo's router is outstanding, and symmetrical up and down speeds are rare for a provider that's nationally available. That said, we struggled to find postcodes where Full Fibre is normally available and that you can get Cuckoo. Maybe you will have better luck. Either way, it's unlikely Cuckoo will disappoint you.

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