National Broadband 5G home broadband

Why choose National Broadband 5G home broadband?

There are a lot of reasons to choose National Broadband for your 5G home broadband, but the biggest one is that it deals with all the UK’s mobile operators, and will put you on the best network for your location.

So whereas going directly with EE, Three, Vodafone or O2 would only give you access to that network’s specific infrastructure, if you go with National Broadband you’ll be paired with the one of those that has the best infrastructure and signal in your home.

In fact, in the case of O2 the network doesn’t even have a 5G home broadband offering of its own, so if you go direct you’ll simply be sent an O2 SIM card and have to source a 5G router of your own.

But with National Broadband, whichever network they pair you with, they’ll also provide you with all the equipment and support you need, and that includes offering more specialised equipment where needed, rather than just the router that the likes of Three or EE would send you.

So National Broadband is a bespoke service, where they work out both the network and equipment that’s best for your property, and then – where necessary – arrange expert installation.

This process allows National Broadband to deliver 5G internet even to homes that barely get a 5G signal on their phones – or in some cases no 5G signal at all.

What are the advantages of 5G home broadband?

Whichever network you choose, there are a lot of clear advantages to 5G home broadband over both 4G home broadband and conventional fixed line broadband.

Compared to 4G it is of course far, far faster – and we’ll talk more about speeds below.

As for conventional broadband. Well, that will often need a landline, which isn’t required here, so you don’t need to be paying for a landline if you’re not otherwise using one. You also usually need an engineer to come out and install a broadband connection, but with 5G home broadband you typically don’t – you’re just sent a router that you plug in and turn on.

In the case of National Broadband an engineer is still sometimes sent, but only if your property requires more specialist equipment to get a 5G signal – so that’s actually an advantage of National Broadband in particular.

5G home broadband is also often cheaper and available on shorter term plans than other forms of broadband, so it can be more affordable and flexible, and works great as both a temporary and long term solution.

And it’s often faster than fixed line broadband, almost always exceeding fibre to the cabinet (FTTC) speeds – which is what the vast majority of the UK uses – so you don’t have to compromise on speed.

National Broadband 5G coverage

National Broadband doesn’t have its own infrastructure, instead, it works with all of the UK’s major networks, specifically Three, EE, Vodafone, and O2.

These four are the only mobile networks in the UK that actually have their own 5G infrastructure, and since National Broadband deals with all of them, it can offer you the best 5G coverage option in your area. So in a sense its coverage is always the very best possible.

National Broadband 5G speeds

National Broadband doesn’t get very specific on the speeds you’ll get as they can be quite variable depending on your location and other factors, but it does say that your download speeds will be comfortably above 100Mbps, making it much faster than fibre to the cabinet (FTTC), which is what most of the UK uses.

In urban areas, National Broadband says its speeds can be well into the 300Mbps range. But it doesn’t make any promises of that, saying instead that it would rather under promise and over deliver.

National Broadband also won’t ever throttle your 5G speeds, so you’ll get the highest possible speeds for your area at all times.

How does National Broadband’s 5G home broadband compare to fibre broadband?

Most of the UK’s fibre broadband is fibre to the cabinet (FTTC), and that tends to top out at well under the 100Mbps minimum speeds that National Broadband mentions.

BT for example has several such plans, ranging from 35Mbps to 73Mbps. So National Broadband easily has that beat, even at the top end, and the same is true when comparing to other broadband providers.

There are however some fibre to the premises (FTTP) home broadband offerings, also known as full fibre or fibre to the home, and these can be much faster. BT’s full fibre offering for example promises speeds of up to 900Mbps.

However, there are two big problems with these plans. First, they’re often far more expensive than 5G home broadband, and second they’re not yet widely available, so there’s a high chance they won’t be an option. That’s especially true in rural areas, which might not get full fibre for many years – if ever.

Plus, in theory 5G home broadband is capable of speeds of 1Gbps or more anyway, so in future it could rival full fibre, though right now most premises are very unlikely to experience that.

What router is supplied with National Broadband 5G home broadband?

National Broadband will send you its 5G WiFi Router, which is a rebranded Huawei 5G CPE Pro.

This used to be the standard 5G home broadband router offered by Three, EE and Vodafone too, so you can be confident that it’s good.

It allows for up to 64 simultaneous connections, so you can get all your smartphones, computers, consoles, televisions, and other connected household gadgets online at once.

It also has two Gigabit Ethernet ports, allowing you to deliver even faster wired broadband to devices that need it, and it supports external antennas, allowing you to get a signal boost if it struggles to pick one up on its own.

Plus, it offers theoretical download speeds of up to 2,330Mbps, which is way faster than National Broadband or any other UK provider offers, but it means the hardware won’t hold you back if 5G performance improves.

Who else offers 5G home broadband?

You can also get 5G home broadband from EE and Three. Vodafone meanwhile was offering it and still does to businesses. However, if you’re with National Broadband then you can get coverage from any of those networks (or O2) anyway.

What about 5G mobile broadband?

National Broadband doesn’t currently offer 5G mobile broadband, but this is available elsewhere, including from EE with its 5G WiFi device.

5G mobile broadband works just like 5G home broadband, except you get a battery-powered router so you can bring a 5G broadband connection with you wherever you go (as long as there’s 5G coverage).

If you just want 5G in your home though then a dedicated 5G home broadband solution is better.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the router cost extra?

Yes, National Broadband currently charges £299 upfront for its 5G home broadband router. However, its monthly price is often lower than rival providers, and you can choose between 12, 18, or 24-month plans.

How do I set National Broadband 5G home broadband up?

In many cases, National Broadband will simply send you a 5G home broadband router which you plug in, and then are basically ready to go. So you can be up and running in minutes, and without an engineer visit.

That said, the company offers solutions tailored to your own property, so if you’re somewhere where signal is an issue, there may be more equipment and a more involved installation required, but in that case an expert will be sent out to install it, so you won’t have to handle that yourself.

Do I need a landline?

No, 5G home broadband works completely independently of any landline. That means that if you don’t use yours then you can get rid of it to save money. It also means you can get 5G home broadband in places that don’t have a landline.

Can I get unlimited data?

Yes, National Broadband offers unlimited data as standard on all of its plans. It also doesn’t ever throttle your speeds, so you’ll be able to use 5G to its full potential, with no limits or restrictions.