Mobile network operator and UK ISP EE (BT) has today officially taken the wrappings off their new next-generation and powered Wi-Fi 7 router (Smart Hub Pro) and booster (Smart WiFi Pro) for home broadband customers. At the same time, they’ve also formally launched their new 5G Standalone mobile network across 15 of the country’s major cities.
We’ll start with the Smart Hub Pro and Smart WiFi Pro. In case anybody has forgotten, Wi-Fi 7 introduces a number of new features, such as using the extra 6GHz channel with 320MHz of channel bandwidth for much broader capacity (Wi-Fi 6E is 160MHz), as well as Multi Link Operation (MLO), which allows data to be sent over multiple bands simultaneously, and 4K QAM, which offers up to 20% increase in peak data transmission performance (plus other enhancements).
Everything Everywhere (EE) had previously pledged to be one of the first UK broadband providers to introduce a Wi-Fi 7 router during 2024 and so it has today come to pass. The new Smart Hub Pro router, which is being complemented by a new Smart WiFi Pro coverage booster, will initially only be made available to customers on “selected” Full Fibre (FTTP) plans (e.g. 1.6Gbps) “in the coming weeks” (i.e. it’s a soft launch).
However, the new router will also be made available as an add-on to existing plans, although this will almost certainly cost extra (we expect it won’t be a cheap add-on). When used together with the new Smart Hub Pro device, Smart WiFi Pro pledges to give customers a minimum of 100Mbps (wireless) connection in every room, with a money-back guarantee if you don’t get that. EE has also added a promotional video of the new broadband kit:
Going Standalone
The second big announcement today, albeit one that won’t come as a surprise to our readers because we already spotted it (here), is the official launch of EE’s new 5G Standalone (5G SA) mobile broadband network and related plans across fifteen major UK cities (Bath, Belfast, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hull, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Manchester and Sheffield).
The majority of UK 5G mobile networks today are Non-Standalone (NSA), which means they are still partly reliant on older and slower 4G infrastructure. But SA networks are pure end-to-end 5G that can deliver ultra-low latency times, greater energy efficiency, better upload speeds, network slicing, improved support for Internet of Things (IoT) devices, support for Voice over New Radio (VoNR or Vo5G) and increased reliability and security etc.
However, EE are making some bold claims about their new 5GSA service, such as by stating that it will “offer near uninterrupted outdoor coverage in every city where it launches” and “allow customers to make calls and use data in areas where it wasn’t possible before” – both of which really require further elaboration from the operator.
Breaking news.. more to follow..