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Thanks to 5G, an exciting new alternative to traditional fibre home broadband is starting to emerge.
The next-generation mobile network known as 5G is not merely a super-fast way to get connected from your smartphone, it’s also being positioned as a viable means of connecting to the internet from your home.
In order to connect to 5G home broadband, you’ll need a 5G router. Here’s a rundown of the current 5G router market in the UK.
A 5G router is a plug-in device that enables you to access home broadband using a 5G signal rather than the telephone wiring that runs to your home.
With average real world download speeds of between around 100–200Mbps, 5G home broadband is already faster than standard fibre broadband where available. With peak speeds potentially exceeding 1Gbps in places, it could even potentially compete with top-notch full fibre broadband.
5G also benefits from lower latency than 4G, which should in time make for a fixed broadband-like responsive online experience. Based on the available data, you can currently expect a ping of around 20-35ms, which falls in between a decent home broadband connection (10–20ms) and a 4G broadband connection (around 35-50ms).
But perhaps the key benefit of using a 5G router right now is how quick and easy they are to set up. You can receive it in the post the very next day after you order, at which point you literally plug it in and access the internet. There’s no need to wait around for an engineer to visit.
Given the relatively new nature of 5G broadband, there aren’t an awful lot of options for 5G routers on the market. In fact, until fairly recently there was only really one, albeit rebranded by three different networks. Thankfully, the choice is a little wider now.
If you take out Three 5G Home Broadband, then you’ll receive a Three 5G Hub (also sometimes referred to as the Three 5G Home Broadband Hub), and it supports an impressive max download speed of 3.8Gbps – though Three’s own network tops out at 1Gbps on this device, so for now you won’t see those speeds.
For average download speeds, Three claims that at least 50% of its 5G home broadband customers will get average speeds of 150Mbps during the peak hours of between 8pm and 10pm.
The Three 5G Hub also has two Ethernet ports, along with antenna sockets, plus support for up to 64 simultaneous connections. That’s far more than you’re likely to need, and is in line with rivals.
And note that Three also sells the Three 5G Outdoor Hub, which is somewhat similar but would be mounted outside your property, to give it a better chance at hooking on to a signal.
EE offers 5G home broadband via its own-branded 5G router (seen above), the EE Smart 5G Hub.
EE hasn’t revealed all the specs of this device, but it claims that you'll get average download speeds of 146Mbps from its Smart 5G Hub, and that it can impressively get over 100 devices online, which is more than rivals. The EE Smart 5G Hub also has two Ethernet ports.
The Vodafone GigaCube 5G theoretically offers top speeds of 3.8Gbps, though as with other options your real world speeds will be a lot lower, with Vodafone stating that its network tops out at 1Gbps.
Like many rivals, it can get up to 64 devices online at once, so it’s competitive with most rivals, and it has Ethernet ports. Note however that Vodafone used to offer different routers under the same name.
National Broadband doesn’t have its own 5G infrastructure, but it does sell a 5G router, and if you purchase one of its plans then it will provide signal using the best network in your area.
It calls its router the 5G WiFi Router, which at the time of writing is a rebranded TP Link 5G NX200 v1, offering average download speeds of over 100Mbps, and the hardware is capable of peak speeds of 4.67Gbps.
As with rival devices, it also includes antenna ports, Ethernet ports, and support for both 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi.
Your choice of portable 5G routers is fairly limited at the time of writing, but there are a few interesting options if you want to be more flexible or mobile with your 5G broadband connectivity.
The EE 5G WiFi is the latest mobile broadband device to be launched by EE.
EE's device has a lot going for it, with a 30-metre Wi-Fi range and the ability to connect over 100 devices at the same time.
In theory this offers average download speeds of 146Mbps, but in practice EE’s current plans for it top out at 100Mbps.
This also doesn’t support external antennas, but that’s typical with portable devices.
Three’s 5G mobile broadband device is called the Three 5G MiFi, and this offers peak download speeds of 1Gbps, and delivers up to eight hours of life.
This can get up to 32 gadgets online, and it has a thin and light design.
The Netgear Nighthawk M6 is a 5G mobile broadband router that’s available from O2 at the time of writing.
It has a peak download speed of 3.1Gbps (though as with all of these devices the speeds on the network will be much lower), and it has a 5,040mAh battery, a 2.4-inch touchscreen, an Ethernet port, and the ability to get up to 32 devices online at once.
The Netgear Nighthawk M3 is a cheaper alternative to the M6 that’s also available on O2, but it’s a similar prospect.
Just like the M6 it supports 5G, and real-world speeds should be similar too, but it doesn’t have an Ethernet port.
The Vodafone 5G Mobile Hotspot is Vodafone’s portable 5G option, and this can get up to 32 devices online at once, and has a 2.4-inch touchscreen and eight hours of battery life.
Speeds theoretically top out at 3.8Gbps, but don’t expect to get anywhere near that currently.
5G broadband is much faster and more responsive than 4G broadband, and that gap is going to increase exponentially over the coming years. You should go with a 5G router if at all possible.
The main reason not to is simply that you don’t have 5G coverage in your area, but with 5G coverage increasing all the time, you might soon do if you don’t already.
Check out the 5G coverage checkers for the UK’s 5G home broadband suppliers. These will provide detailed 5G coverage information for your area.
At the time of writing, real world download speeds for 5G broadband tend to fall roughly between 100 and 200Mbps on average, which is faster than most regular broadband packages. Peak speeds of almost 1Gbps have been recorded in certain places, however, which rivals the fastest full fibre broadband services available in the UK.
Yes, you can. The Three 5G Home Broadband Hub, Vodafone GigaCube 5G, and the 5G WiFi Router from National Broadband all support external antennas, which you can connect to improve your signal, which is ideal if your 5G signal is iffy or absent without an antenna.
Due presumably to limited 5G coverage, only a few operators are offering 5G home broadband packages, and only in a relatively small percentage of the country.
Because of this, there isn’t an abundance of 5G router options available. This will undoubtedly improve over time as 5G broadband becomes more popular.
Jon has nine years experience of writing and editing copy for leading publications, as well as attending technology shows and events and conducting interviews. Currently working with 5G.co.uk, TechRadar, Trusted Reviews, T3, Digital Spy, What Mobile, Pocket Gamer, and The Gadget Show.
James has been writing for us for over 10 years. Currently, he is Editorial Manager for our group of companies ( 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk) and sub-editor at TechRadar. He specialises in smartphones, mobile networks/ technology, tablets, and wearables.
In the past, James has also written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media, Smart TV Radar, and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV. He has a film studies degree from the University of Kent, Canterbury, and has over a decade’s worth of professional writing experience.
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