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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 100–250Mbps, 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.
The Three 5G-Ready Hub is what you’ll be sent if you take out a 4G home broadband plan on the network, but as the name suggests, this device is still capable of 5G.
The hardware can deliver maximum download speeds of 3Gbps if and when UK networks become capable of that, maximum upload speeds of 250Mbps, and support for 64 device connections, and if you want a wired connection then there are two Ethernet ports for that. This is a Wi-Fi 6 router, supporting both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands.
EE offers 5G home broadband via its own-branded 5G router (seen above), the EE Smart 5G Hub 7 Pro.
The network claims that you'll get average download speeds of 146Mbps from this device, and that it can impressively get over 100 devices online, which is more than rivals. The EE Smart 5G Hub 7 Pro is also a tri-band, Wi-Fi 7 device.
EE also sells the EE Smart 5G Hub 7 Plus, which is a lower end device than the 7 Pro – and therefore typically cheaper – but still capable of 5G. EE promises the same 146Mbps average 5G download speeds here, and this too can get over 100 devices online, but it’s a dual-band device rather than tri-band.
Vodafone hasn’t detailed the specs of its 5G Hub, but it appears to be the same underlying device as the Three 5G-Ready Hub, meaning it would be a rebranded Greenpacket E5-250MA.
In which case, you can expect the Vodafone 5G Hub to be a Wi-Fi 6 device supporting both 2.4GHz and 5GHz connections, with maximum theoretical download speeds of 3Gbps, maximum upload speeds of 250Mbps, two Ethernet ports, and the ability to get up to 64 devices online.
Note also that much like Three, Vodafone also sells a 5G Outdoor Hub, for homes that struggle to get a 5G signal indoors. It’s no accident that the hardware selection here is similar to Three’s, since the two networks have merged.
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 M7 Pro is the top 5G mobile broadband router that’s currently available from O2.
It has a peak download speed of 6Gbps (though as with all of these devices the speeds on the network will be much lower), and it has a 5,040mAh battery, a 2.8-inch touchscreen, an Ethernet port, and the ability to get up to 64 devices online at once.
The Netgear Nighthawk M7 is a 5G mobile broadband router that’s also available from O2 and is a step down from the M7 Pro.
This has a peak download speed of 4Gbps, a 3,850mAh battery, a 2.4-inch screen, 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 up to eight hours of battery life.
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.
Yes, you can. The Three 5G Home Broadband Hub, Three 5G-Ready Hub, Vodafone 5G Hub, 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.
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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