Josh G | Social Media & Content Lead
Many broadband providers can’t wait to tell you how superfast, ultrafast or hyperfast their broadband is.
But we don’t use these terms at Cuckoo because, well, they’re just not that useful. Instead, we stick to a numbered approach: the higher the number, the faster the speed. Crazy, we know.
But we can still help you figure out what everyone else is talking about. And, more importantly, help you understand what speed you really need.
When it comes to figuring out how fast your broadband will be, it’s the download speed you want to look for. Starting at the bottom end of the scale, Ofcom defines superfast broadband as a download speed of 30Mbps and above. Ultrafast is, by their definition, a minimum of 100Mbps, with hyperfast broadband being anything between 500Mbps and 1Gbps.
Like we said, we prefer to use a numbered approach when it comes to the three speeds we offer. So our C-150 has a download speed of [drumroll please...] 150Mbps. C-500 gives you 500Mbps and there are zero clues for what our C-900 speed provides. Yep, that’s right: 900Mbps. Click here to find out more.
We thought you’d never ask. Well, fibre is the older type of connection, where a fibre optic cable (fast) runs from the exchange to a cabinet near where you live. From there, your data runs on an older, copper wire (slow) to your home.
Cuckoo only provides full fibre, which is where fibre optic cables run all the way from the exchange, directly into your home. So there’s no copper to slow you down. And yes, it’s much, much, much faster. Up to 25 times faster in fact. Right now, about 70% homes in the UK can get it*, so if you don’t have it yet, the first thing to do is check your postcode and see if it’s available. If it’s not, don’t worry – more and more people are being connected to full fibre every day, so it should only be a matter of time.
A very good question. Not all households use the internet in the same way, so it’s good to have a think about the following, before you choose your speed:
Got a busy family or loads of housemates? Do you often need to be online at the same time? If so, your bandwidth needs to be large enough to be shared around. Which means you’ll want one of the faster speeds available.
If you’re a regular gamer, and especially if you like streaming on Twitch or Discord, you probably don’t want to have anything slower than 100Mbps. And ideally, a minimum speed of 500Mbps should give you the best shot at being on the podium most evenings. For more on gaming, click here.
Whether you’re streaming the latest Netflix thriller, pumping out your favourite playlist, or cycling through another Peloton workout, you’ll need a fast speed to keep the dreaded wheel of doom at bay. And if you’re streaming in UHD this only becomes more important. A minimum speed of 100Mbps would be a good place to start but it really depends on what you're streaming and when. See more here
With around 44% of UK workers now working from home at least some of the time, this inevitably means video calls, downloading files and real-time collaboration. Which all need good download speeds. And if there’s more than one of you WFH at the same time, you’ll really need something fast, probably at least 500Mbps to be safe- especially if you're dealing with large files.
As our homes and appliances get ever smarter, they all need to use our Wi-Fi to do their thing. Which means a good constant connection is needed, before you even start doing any of the above. If you have apps on your phone for your fridge, security, speakers and lighting, you might want a faster speed to make sure they all run as smoothly as possible.
A good rule of thumb is 5 Mbps for any non-video devices. And 10 Mbps for anything video. Read our smart home guide for more
If you’re not sure exactly what speed you’ll need, it’s always good to go a bit faster than you think you’ll need, because you’ll never notice the difference. But if you go too slow, you’ll be reminded over and over again.
And if you’re not going with Cuckoo, remember to look out for that download number. If a provider says they’re offering you superfast broadband, then as good as it might sound, it’s only going to be somewhere between 30-100Mbps.
Finally, don’t be distracted by the word ‘fibre’ either. Make sure you ask them if it’s full fibre and full fibre only.
If you’re ready to join our flock and get full fibre from just £36/month, we’d love to have you join our flock. Click here to get started.
*source: think broadband https://labs.thinkbroadband.com/local/
Ultrafast. Superfast. Faster-than-the-speed-of-light-on-a-bike fast. Lots of broadband providers make big promises when it comes to connection speed. But what is ‘a good speed’? And when it comes down to it, how fast is your internet really?
You’re about to score the winning goal / capture the flag / complete the fastest lap when suddenly, everything on the screen freezes. What do you do? Shout? Throw the controller? Curse the gaming gods? All of the above?
Remote working can have many advantages; better work/life balance, less time commuting, more time with your pets! But if your internet speeds aren’t up to scratch, you could face awkward laggy video calls or painfully slow file downloads
The great thing about streaming is you can watch films or listen to music or podcasts all day long without having to download and store big files. The only thing you need (apart from an understanding partner) is plenty of broadband speed.