Fibre contract issue -Swish/Cuckoo

I have an acquaintance who has just moved into a property that has Swish, now Cuckoo, fibre already connected. she wants to continue using the fibre connection and hence needs to change the name/billing on the existing connection.}

She appears to have hit a brick wall: here is her message to me:-

I agree Cuckoo are the best option however I spoke to them this week and they said “Cuckoo are not taking any new customers and they are only managing the customer base for Onestream”. All new customers HAVE to go through Onestream and as you will read they are saying they can not provide the FTTP service to my property.

There has to be a better solution as I know the service works 100% on the current system, I had this all demonstrared when I was in the process of buying the house, but the previous owners cancelled their contract and Cuckoo refuses to transfer it.

I feel I need to escalate this but to whom I do not know.

Does anyone have any suggestions - it does seem weird when they already supply a working FTTP service but are unable to transfer it to a new property owner.

Personally, I’d see that as a big warning to taking service from them. If they cannot be bothered to see that they could have real easy win for a new customer.

Run screaming, find a company that will want to give you service .

The fundamental problem is that Swish installed the fibre and then Swish has since been taken over my Cuckoo and then further change of ownership.

My friend bought the property but the new fibre service owners (taking over the service from Swish) are apparently refusing to allow the broadband service to be transferred to her, the new property owner.

There is no other full fibre available at the location and currently no BT phone line to the premises in order to supply FTTC. BT would have to install a new phone line which is a considerable distance from the nearest green box. Openreach can do this but they say that running a new cable through the property will be quite disruptive. I have not yet seen it for myself.

I am at a total loss to know what to advise her. She was expecting a simple change to the service billing transferred from the previous owner to herself. It seems to be outrageous that a working FTTC service cannot simply be transferred to a new owner. The only change is the billing process from a new account. No technical changes are required.

Perhaps you could speak to Onestream yourself. There maybe some erroneous data.

Email: [email protected]

Alternatively, you can write to us at:

Onestream
Unit 15
Fulcrum 2
Whiteley
Hampshire
PO15 7FN

Cuckoo have transferred their customer base to Onestream, who are continuing to manage existing Cuckoo customers but are not taking on new customers under the Cuckoo brand. Once Cuckoo contracts end they may not renew them but offer customers Onestream contracts. With this as the background your friend may need to go to Onestream for a new contract.

Further back Swish were bought by Fern Trading before they actually started installation. Fern Trading owned Cuckoo and telecom infrastructure arm Allpoints Fibre. It is possible some of their other ISP customers may be able provide a broadband service over the network in your friend's location. https://allpointsfibre.uk/about-us
Have you checked the TB availability checker https://labs.thinkbroadband.com/local/postcode-search.

Have they asked to have a new service, or to have the service transferred? From your posts it seems they have asked to have it transferred to a different account, they should be asking for a new service.

I do not yet know exactly what she asked for.. I do know that the fibre service was demonstrated when she bought the property and was an important factor in choosing the property.

All she actually wants is for the service to be put in her name and a new bank account to be used for payment and of course the broadband service to be switched back on. Surely none of this should be difficult.

As far as I know she has been told that they cannot take on "new customers" and has drawn a total brick wall towards getting this situation resolved. It is surely only an accounting issue!

There is currently no BT telephone wire into the premises s to go to any other broadband provider she would have to get a new BT connection and she would then receive a lower level of service as she is a significant distance from the nearest Oen Reach cabinet.

This is making me wonder whether I should switch to an FTTC service from my own FTTP service from Swish/Cuckoo.