EE has launched its 5G mobile broadband plans, making it the first UK carrier to do so. The company isn’t pitching its latest 5G offering as a replacement for home broadband but that is likely due to the fact that 5G availability is limited at the moment.
Launch plans are limited at 50GB (£50pcm) and 100GB (£75pcm) data, which is actually pretty low (and expensive) considering the data that 5G can consume.
Bundled with these mobile broadband offerings is the attractive HTC 5G Hub, which was launched at MWC earlier this year. The HTC 5G Hub can share its 5G signal via next-gen AD 2×2 Wi-Fi, which enjoy similarly fast top speeds, ‘dramatically faster than 4G LTE’ and ‘wire equivalent’ latencies.
With its 5G network and the HTC 5G Mobile Smart Hub, EE promises customers will “benefit from smooth 4K video streaming, low-latency gaming, and 5G mobile hotspot connections for up to 20 users”.
Edward Goff, Marketing Director, EE said:
“Our 5G network will give EE customers even faster, more reliable mobile WiFi connections where they need it most – whether online gaming on the move, downloading or streaming HD content, or simply keeping a fast connection in the busiest areas.
With the HTC 5G Hub, we’re seeing mobile experiences typically associated with tablets and smartphones combined with the practicality of a mobile broadband device and portable battery. With such a diverse product, we’re the only UK network that allows users to enjoy the fastest mobile connectivity in more places.”
The 5G Hub supports enough speed for mobile gaming and 4K video streaming to second screens. The device also supports voice command and remote-control features making it easy to manage entertainment and productivity needs.
HTC uses the same Snapdragon 855 SoC inside that new flagship smartphones us, like the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G. The modem inside is the familiar Snapdragon X50.
The operating system for the Hub is Android 9 Pie allowing the download of native Android and PC games on the screen of the device. The Wi-Fi hardware inside the HTC 5G Hub supports 802.11ad with multi-gigabit speeds and wire equivalent latencies.
A Qualcomm 2×2 Wi-Fi 6-ready chipset provides the wireless connectivity. Power for the hub is via a 7,660 mAh internal battery, and the device does support VPNs.
Businesses can connect up to 20 devices safely and securely on a high-speed encrypted network or configure for a corporate VPN. As businesses grow, the 5G network is also easily scalable via built-in Gigabit ethernet port.
