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.

what happens if she or you put her address in here

https://onestream.co.uk/

In reply to a post by steelej02:

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.

It never officially happens that way with telephony services, the service is ceased with the outgoing customer and provided as a new service to the incoming customer, a new account is setup for the incoming customer with their payment details. I feel the frustration of your friend but they need to focus on the company that would now provide a service over that fibre and see if they can change their minds about this as I see that being the only way.

Edited by PCJM40 (Mon 13-Jul-26 10:29:44)

Just to add does 'Brillband' and 'AllPoints Fibre Networks' play any part in this now?

Edit: The more I read the more I THINK 'Onestream' own the old 'Swish' customers but not the infrastructure, seems to me 'Swish' infrastructure is now part of 'AllPoints Fibre Networks' and since the beginning of July 2026 'Brillband' can provide a service.

I may be totally wrong and I am sorry if thats the case, I am simply trying to piece stuff together from various sources.

Edited by PCJM40 (Mon 13-Jul-26 11:02:19)

In reply to a post by burble:

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.

Note, I should have said 'contract' not 'service'.

In reply to a post by burble:

In reply to a post by burble:

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.

Note, I should have said 'contract' not 'service'.

it should be a new contract. And they should check the neighbours chance of connection. The transfer of service is not going to happen. Its messy at best anyone. If i moved into a place i would not take on an existing isp account.

As far as I can tell they are refusing to take on new customers so will not accept her request even though the fibre and router are already installed.

The Swish/Cuckoo however is the ONLY broadband connection physically available to her. It was active when she recently bought the property and expected to be able to take over the fibre service that was already providing the service. That is what used to happen with all BT services so it is a natural assumption. I would have done the same.

She does NOT currently have any copper BT telephone line to her premises so to get any other broadband service she would need to get one installed. That will take some time and meanwhile she does not have the broadband connection she was expecting to have. She would also have a much degraded speed as I understand that the nearest BT cabinet is a long way from her property.

I am now wondering if this could happen to me if I wanted to move. I am with Swish/cuckoo as the only full fibre service available to me. At least I still have the BT copper cable connected to my property although they are not currently being used and am very close to the BT green box for a FTTC solution. She is not!

In reply to a post by steelej02:

That is what used to happen with all BT services so it is a natural assumption. I would have done the same.

You may not know this but when someone use to move out of a property and someone new moved in the BT service effectively was a cease and totally separate provide, the line would go to soft dial tone (or further back it would go to TOS aka temporary out of service) until the line was provided again for the new subscriber.

I was perhaps not explaining the situation clearly enough.

She bought the property which had a working fibre connection. All the infrastructure was in place and was working when she bought the property. The fibre cable and the router are, I believe, still connected but she is unable to use the service as the account has been closed..

She not unreasonably expected to be able to set up a new user account with Swish/Cuckoo to use the same physical infrastructure but with a new account for billing. This is where the problem arises. They will NOT accept her as a new customer so she has no broadband service, no landline telephone, and apparently no obvious way of getting broadband services without getting a new BT telephone line installed and using a FTTC service. She is very a long way away from the nearest BT cabinet so the speed will be degraded..

What did Brillband say? can they provide a service over what was Swish Fibre?

Yes I am aware of how it all used to work. I have moved house in the good old days and have inherited the same phone number from the previous contract.

I have worked for BT and for some anomalous reason for several years I was even able to connect to the local telephone exchange. I have even designed, and had approved, modem devices.

My friend expected to be able to use the already working fibre broadband connection but the broadband provider is refusing (or is at least unwilling) to do what is necessary to create an account for her to pay and for the router to connect.

She does NOT currently have any BT cable to her property. she will apparently be forced to get one installed to get FTTC broadband service. How long this will take is anyone's guess.

I am with the same broadband service and am personally concerned this could happen to me if I need to move. At least I do still have a BT cable to my property (disconnected at my end) so that could be reinstated so it would not be quite so serious for me.

In reply to a post by steelej02:

Yes I am aware of how it all used to work.

Mate rather than patting yourself on the back and not listening to those trying to help, get her to call Brillband and see if they can provide a service over the existing Swish fibre cabling.

What happens if your contact puts their address into the Onestream website? It sounds like things are being over complicated massively by talks of taking over an existing service.

As others have said, you are making this more complicated than it needs to be.

From a legal perspective, the new resident has no standing in the contract between the previous residents and Swish/Cuckoo. In any event, that contract has already been terminated, and there is nothing "to transfer" from a legal perspective. Standard practice is for service transfers to be on a new contract, not to novate an existing contract. Novations can be rather awkward and costly to do correctly, even if something was left to novate, which is not the case here.

The question that needs addressing is whether Swish/Cuckoo/OneStream/Brillband (I am not sure about the structure of this altnet) can be persuaded that there is an existing fibre and ONT in place, and to offer service over it. Altnets have no universal service obligation, and they are within their rights to refuse to do anything.

The USO option is Openreach; if the only thing available is FTTC, and there is no hope of taking out a new contract for the altnet FTTP, then the new resident should order an Openreach-provided service, satellite broadband or mobile broadband.

This sort of thing is annoying, especially if the only ultrafast option is an altnet that has gone through takeovers or financial distress and is unwilling to do business with new customers. Sadly, the best option might be to take Openreach-provided service for now and hope that either the altnet has a change of heart or that Openreach FTTP becomes available.

Edited by David_W2 (Mon 13-Jul-26 14:35:48)

In reply to a post by steelej02:

I was perhaps not explaining the situation clearly enough.

She bought the property which had a working fibre connection. All the infrastructure was in place and was working when she bought the property. The fibre cable and the router are, I believe, still connected but she is unable to use the service as the account has been closed..

this bit doesn't matter

In reply to a post by steelej02:

She not unreasonably expected to be able to set up a new user account with Swish/Cuckoo to use the same physical infrastructure but with a new account for billing. This is where the problem arises.

except that its the wrong way to think of things.

its a new account. forget about existing accounts. just do no go there.

In reply to a post by steelej02:

They will NOT accept her as a new customer so she has no broadband service.

what does the link i gave says.

In reply to a post by steelej02:

no landline telephone, and apparently no obvious way of getting broadband services without getting a new BT telephone line installed and using a FTTC service. She is very a long way away from the nearest BT cabinet so the speed will be degraded..

there is no such thing as a bt cabinet. That said and confusingly this says "bt wholesale"

https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL/...

put her postcode and select her property.... and what does it give under "WBC SOGEA Availability"

The thing i'm confused about is that onestream also uses OR fttp. I can order from onestream. Google is sugesting cityfibre provided some of the infrastructure.

We know that the swiss/cuckoo changes was messy and not in the consumer's interest. If it was cityfibre whom cuckoo used in her area - would city fibre provide a connection now?

In reply to a post by jpm:

What happens if your contact puts their address into the Onestream website? It sounds like things are being over complicated massively by talks of taking over an existing service.

yep that part need to be forgotten.... I know what the OP's friend is suggesting but it is actually just a new account.

In reply to a post by Taras:

The thing i'm confused about is that onestream also uses OR fttp. I can order from onestream. Google is sugesting cityfibre provided some of the infrastructure.

We know that the swiss/cuckoo changes was messy and not in the consumer's interest. If it was cityfibre whom cuckoo used in her area - would city fibre provide a connection now?

I believe its Swish Fibre infrastructure not Cityfibre, I also believe the previous home owner ultimately became a Onestream customer but the physical infrastructure remains the property of Fern Trading via the AllPoints Fibre Networks brand (surely the OP must know this if they are also a former Swish fibre customer). I do not believe Onestream are authorised to sell broadband to new customers over the Swish Fibre network thats why Onestream are saying no. They simply bought the customer base as that is the most valuable asset to sell but they are not in a position to add new customers to that network, it must be something that was agreed when they bought only the existing customer base. From everything I have read Brillband are the authorised sellers as they are owned by APFN who are owned by Fern Trading who own the Swish Fibre network.


PS - I could be entirely wrong 🤣

Edited by PCJM40 (Mon 13-Jul-26 17:21:16)

In reply to a post by PCJM40:

PS - I could be entirely wrong 🤣

same with what i said........ I can understand the op's friend being totally confused.

Thanks for all the feedback. The decision has been made, the only viable one.

She has gone for a FTTC solution. BT are attending on Thursday to install a copper cable to her property. There used to be one so hopefully it will just be the route overhead from the nearest pole to her property.

I visited her today am planning to be available when BT attend to ensure that she is not being pressured to something that is not necessary, This will give her FTTC so that she can go to any one of the several providers.

I now need to decide myself whether to remain with Swish/Cuckoo or switch now to a different provider. I am not planning to move and am not actually dissatisfied with their service but if it remains impossible to transfer my fibre connection to a new owner then I would not want to impose such a farcical situation on any new buyer of my property.

There are multiple FTTC services available.

In reply to a post by Taras:

I can understand the op's friend being totally confused.

Yes, if I was a friend of the OP I would be confused by their advice as well. I wonder if the friend was ever given information suggested by contributors of this thread.

Your post is a bit confusing. Who has been contacted to install the line? That is normally the chosen ISP.

The property was bought with a working fibre connection and that was demonstrated prior to purchase. At the time it was installed and supported by Swish, now trading as Cuckoo. Cuckoo or their new owners are refusing to change the name and billing details on he account so the fibre service is now totally unusable.

I have now discovered that as my own broadband and telephone service is EXACTLY the same and delivered by the same Swish installed router under a manhole in the road, it will impossible for a new owner, should I need to sell my property, to ever have a full fibre service.

I went with Swish expecting this to enhance my properties future value. It has turned out to be quite the reverse! A new owner would have no broadband or telephone service (as my landline phone is also routed via my broadband) if the current supplier persists in refusing to allow a change of owner on the service..

Is there any appeal that can be raised when the owner of the only full fibre connection available refuses to change ownership to a new owner?

My neighbour has arranged for BT to reinstall a copper connection to her property (it was removed prior to her moving in when the property was rebuilt) so an FTTC solution becomes feasible.

I am now seriously wondering if I should I reinstate my NTE5 socket (the BT cable is still there in my case) and switch my own connection to an FTTC contract as it is otherwise impossible to get FTTP from any other supplier in our road. Trooli provide overhead fibre to the rest of our village.

Note that in our road (applies to both properties) the BT cables run through a (blocked) duct to a junction box just outside my boundary, up a pole inside my boundary that is actually owned by the power company. Historically this was legal although I understand it is no longer permitted for new installations, I get paid an annual wayleave from both the power company and BT. The BT copper connection is then connected overhead to my property and via more shared poles to other properties along the road. The other user is having theirs restored later this week

Brillband reponse - Sorry!
We cannot service your property at this time.

I am in daily contact with the person immediately involved and have since realised that the same will apply to me, and my own property, if I were to sell it. My property would have ZERO broadband unless the copper connection to the BT cabinet was restored. For me that is relatively easy. In her case the cable no longer exists and is being restored on Thursday if all goes according to plan.

The current owner of the service REFUSES to change the account name and reconnect the service.which would be the simple solution..

We actually share the same Swish router in the road along with several other properties. It looks as if we will have to revert to an FTTC solution. I thought I was investing in the right technology. What a mistake! At least I still have the BT cable available to where my router is!

In reply to a post by steelej02:

Brillband reponse - Sorry!
We cannot service your property at this time.

OK thanks for finally confirming, Just found this link which may be helpful to others in a similar position when Brillband get themselves sorted out ISPReview

Edited by PCJM40 (Tue 14-Jul-26 15:43:57)

In reply to a post by steelej02:

The current owner of the service REFUSES to change the account name and reconnect the service.which would be the simple solution..

Mate (assuming you are a bloke) the legal world doesn't work like that these days, you may think we are still in the 1970's but we are in 2026. They are not REFUSING they can't do it as they don't own the infrastructure and they are not the authorised provider of new services on that infrastructure. You keep saying the same old [censored], you need to start listening to people on here as its not just me saying it.

did you ever try the onestream checker ?

In reply to a post by steelej02:

The current owner of the service REFUSES to change the account name and reconnect the service.which would be the simple solution..

As I have said before, the previous occupants terminated their contract with the altnet, so there is nothing left to transfer even the parties were willing to novate the contract (which is unlikely; it is difficult to do novation in a legally-binding way, and for something like broadband it is much cleaner for the departing party to terminate and the arriving party to take out a new contract).

It appears that nobody you have contacted so far has the right to enter into new service contracts on this altnet - because, from a legal perspective, the new resident is in no different a position than anyone else seeking a new connection via that service. The existence of a potentially reusable physical connection does not change the legal position.

If, as has been suggested in the thread, new connections are not currently possible on this infrastructure, then that is the end of the matter.

A contract is with A and B. C has no legal right to take the contract over.

Stop asking the same question. It has been answered many times and please answer what I asked.

In reply to a post by steelej02:

Thanks for all the feedback. The decision has been made, the only viable one.

She has gone for a FTTC solution. BT are attending on Thursday to install a copper cable to her property. There used to be one so hopefully it will just be the route overhead from the nearest pole to her property.

I visited her today am planning to be available when BT attend to ensure that she is not being pressured to something that is not necessary, This will give her FTTC so that she can go to any one of the several providers.

I now need to decide myself whether to remain with Swish/Cuckoo or switch now to a different provider. I am not planning to move and am not actually dissatisfied with their service but if it remains impossible to transfer my fibre connection to a new owner then I would not want to impose such a farcical situation on any new buyer of my property.

There are multiple FTTC services available.

Not really much else you can do as it would appear that its still not possible for new customers to sign-up in areas where the network is present. Ludicrous but true:

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2026/03/apfn-s...

...and even with this more recent news update (already linked above) from June, apparently still unresolved...even though it should have been by 1 July:

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2026/06/allpoi...

In reply to a post by steelej02:

I went with Swish expecting this to enhance my properties future value. It has turned out to be quite the reverse! A new owner would have no broadband or telephone service (as my landline phone is also routed via my broadband) if the current supplier persists in refusing to allow a change of owner on the service..

...

I am now seriously wondering if I should I reinstate my NTE5 socket (the BT cable is still there in my case) and switch my own connection to an FTTC contract as it is otherwise impossible to get FTTP from any other supplier in our road. Trooli provide overhead fibre to the rest of our village.

There is no urgent need or rush to do any of that in your situation, unless you're imminently planning on selling your property and even then I probably wouldn't bother.

I would treat this as a short term 'nuisance' and nothing more - as long as your existing FTTP connection remains working and performant and no unexpected price increases, I would just wait this out until APFN and their retail service providers get their act together and start accepting new orders again.