Mobile operator Three UK has today done something a bit different by introducing a 5G Outdoor Hub option for their Three Home Broadband service, which as the name indicates is a mobile router that you “self-install” on the outside of your home in order, we presume, to hopefully get a better 5G mobile signal and thus performance.
Consumers can already buy external routers for mobile broadband connections via third-party brands, although they can be quite expensive and require some additional skills (DIY and IT/Networking) to deploy (we also prefer the Router + External Antenna combo). The advantage of Three UK doing one is that it will come pre-configured and that helps to simplify the installation, but you’ll still need some skills to do the DIY side properly.
The other difficulty for things like this is that you still need to wire them up to power, which when deployed externally will often mean drilling holes through walls – unless you’ve got an external power socket that remains well shielded during wet weather and is positioned close enough to where you mount the Hub (usually at the highest point available / accessible).
Speaking of wires, the 5G Outdoor Hub also comes with one of Amazon’s eero 6 WiFi routers, which naturally goes indoors and that’s of course another device you’ll have to wire up to the Hub. By the looks of it, the power and Ethernet (LAN) connection is handled via a single PoE cable and adapter (Power over Ethernet), so you’ll need both a spare AC plug socket for the Hub and one to power the eero router too – see the user guide.
As usual, Three says customers taking a package with this device “can expect average download speeds of 150Mbps“, but the reality is that this will vary depending upon your location and a variety of other factors (e.g. device placement, capacity at the local mast, spectrum bands used etc.). Suffice to say that your mileage may vary, a lot.
At present we could only see one ‘Outdoor Home Broadband‘ plan available, which costs from £24 per month on a 24-month term and that price will increase by £2 per month from April 2025. The first 6 months are currently also being offered at half price.