EE is gearing up to release their flagship WiFi 7 router, the Smart Hub Pro, designed to handle their multi-gigabit broadband packages. We've been given a sneak peek at the new device, including images of its back panel and accompanying signal booster.
The Smart Hub Pro: A Speed Demon
The Smart Hub Pro boasts WiFi 7 capabilities, meaning it features a third 6Ghz channel, in addition to the standard 2.4GHz and 5Ghz bands. This third channel, which was also available on WiFi 6E, now benefits from double the bandwidth (320MHz) on WiFi 7, allowing it to handle even larger amounts of data simultaneously.
This upgrade represents a significant leap forward from EE's current top router, the Smart Hub Plus, which offers WiFi 6 support and can handle up to 190 devices. Although the Smart Hub Plus employs Gaming and Work modes to prioritise traffic, a WiFi 7 router will be able to provide top speeds to an even greater number of devices concurrently.
A Fibre-Focused Future
The Smart Hub Pro's rear panel reveals a familiar arrangement of ports and buttons, with one notable exception: the absence of a DSL broadband port for copper connections. This signifies that the Smart Hub Pro will be exclusively available for dedicated fibre services, a logical decision given that copper broadband connections wouldn't be able to utilise the router's increased speed capabilities.
Accessibility and Design
EE has incorporated thoughtful accessibility features in the Smart Hub Pro, with braille markings alongside each port and button to facilitate easier use for partially sighted users. The router itself boasts a taller and thinner design, optimising its footprint and taking up less space on your surfaces.
Smart WiFi Pro: The Extension of the Network
The Smart WiFi Pro, the accompanying signal booster, is expected to mirror the functionality of the current Smart WiFi Plus unit. It acts as a Mesh node, extending the signal range and featuring its own physical LAN ports to connect local devices in other rooms.
A Question of Speed
While the images don't provide clarity on whether the LAN ports on the Smart Hub Pro or Smart WiFi Pro have been upgraded from the 1Gig ports found on the Plus models to fully utilise the 1.6Gbs top speed, it would be ideal if they offered faster 2.5Gbps ports. We'll have to await further details closer to the release date to confirm this information.
The EE Smart Hub Pro promises a significant step forward in home internet connectivity, bringing the power of WiFi 7 to those with fibre broadband connections. We'll be keeping a close eye on its release date and eagerly awaiting more details about its impressive features.
