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