We also ask for more detail on their experience of 5G services, to discover any benefits or issues that readers are experiencing. Our Mobile Network Awards survey asks nearly 4,400 UK readers about their satisfaction levels with their current provider, and how well their 4G or 5G connection holds up while watching video, browsing the internet and streaming. We base our mobile broadband reviews on research conducted specifically for our own annual Mobile Network Awards, and on customer service, coverage and performance research from Ofcom and RootMetrics. However, 4G services might come with a less well-equipped router, while routers designed primarily for mobile use might focus more on the compact size and battery life than the connectivity options. The 4G and 5G home routers now have more features than they used to, with some including two or more Gigabit Ethernet ports and 802.11ax Wi-Fi. These are now more widely available than they were even a year ago, although they do come with a price premium and, in some cases, a longer contract.įinally, take a good look at the router you’re getting with your package. That will be fine for work, browsing and music streaming, but if you spend a lot of time watching streaming services or downloading PC and console games, then you need to look for an unlimited package. Typically, 4G and 5G mobile services have a data allowance or usage cap, which may be somewhere between 50GB and 300GB. Just bear in mind that not everyone within one of those areas will be able to get a solid 5G signal, and that getting a signal on your phone outdoors doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get a consistent, high-speed 5G signal inside your home. Meanwhile, O2’s 5G network already covers 750 towns and cities, and is on track to cover 50% of the UK population during 2023. With the proposed merger of Three and Vodafone in the UK, the process should accelerate even further. The other major networks are also catching up, with Three also claiming 60% coverage of the UK population across 588 locations, and Vodafone increasing the speed of its rollout through new 5G Ultra services. That doesn’t only include major towns and cities, but 500 rural and semi-rural areas. EE has the largest 5G network, now in reach of more than 60% of the UK population and stretching across over 1,000 UK locations. With 5G, coverage is improving, but it remains patchy. As such, check the coverage and compare predicted speeds for your location before you sign up. You can now find a decent 4G signal across most of the UK, but the fastest 4G+ or LTE-A services, with speeds of over 40Mbits/sec, still tend to be available in only larger towns and cities. Just bear in mind that while you might get 4G or even 5G speeds in one place, it doesn’t mean you’ll find them everywhere you go. Yet some of these mobile routers will still run from battery power, meaning you can take your internet with you if you go on holiday or move between two properties. We’re also seeing mobile routers that support the more recent 802.11ax (or Wi-Fi 6) standard, so you’re not getting a second-rate experience in any way. These new home services tend to be more expensive than the old-school mobile broadband options, although they often come with a higher monthly data cap – or even unlimited usage. When you can get up to 500Mbits/sec just by slotting in a SIM card, why wait for a supplier to bring a full fibre connection to your home? So far, the limited speeds of 4G services have put such devices in a bit of a niche, but the advent of 5G changes that. Increasingly, though, we’re seeing fully featured designs that do everything you’d expect of a conventional ADSL or fibre router – only using a mobile connection, rather than a fixed line.
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