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We urge HM Treasury to cut the broadband tax and help fix digital poverty.
We started Cuckoo to make broadband simple, for good.
Hidden price rises and terrible customer service are what we're trying to fix. We're now switching many happy customers from big telco and we have even bigger ambitions for the future.
But at our heart, we are the voice of the consumer in a broken market. And we've found a great injustice that we just can't ignore. An injustice that condemns poorer children to be priced out of decent an online education. An injustice that costs every family in the UK up to £100 every year. And an injustice that makes the digital divide between us even starker.
I'm talking about the broadband tax.
Broadband, especially in today's times, is a necessity. As needed as water or energy for our economy to work from home. But we are taxed more on broadband than any other utility, like energy or water. And this is causing real problems in our society. 27% of the poorest households in the UK don't have an internet connection. Compare that to 3% of the richest. It's even worse when you look at the regional disparity. Relative to average incomes, the poorest households in the north spend three times as much as Londoners on broadband.
The government should cut the broadband tax. At Cuckoo, we promise to pass on the cut to our customers in full. We've done our sums and think it's affordable for both us and the government. We share the aim to make great internet affordable to everyone and meet our 2025 goals.
The first step should be giving consumers a helping hand. Now, more than ever.
Alexander Fitzgerald
Founder and CEO, Cuckoo
Campaign backers
"I am passionate about our Government’s levelling up agenda, helping to create jobs and growth right across the country.
"Hard pressed families in areas like Stoke spend three times as much of their disposable income on broadband compared to richer families in London.
"If the Government cuts the broadband tax, recognising it as a necessity not a luxury, it would be a real boost to families across the North. This has been made even more important by the pandemic.
"Stoke is blazing a trail in installing gigabit broadband thanks to the action taken by the Conservatives. If the Prime Minister goes one step further and cuts the broadband tax he would give families an extremely welcome £70 cash boost and would help make the internet more affordable for people who are struggling to make ends meet."
Jonathan Gullis
Member of Parliament
Stoke-on-Trent North
Dehenna Davidson
Member of Parliament
Bishop Auckland
Tom Tugendhat MP
Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee
Tonbridge and Malling
Tracey Crouch MP
Member of Parliament
Chatham and Aylesford
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