EE UK Running FTTP Broadband WiFi Hub Enhancement Trial
Sources have informed ISPreview that broadband ISP EE (BT) appears to have started inviting customers, specifically only those on one of their Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) products, to take part in a new “Hub Enhancement Trial“. This is testing “new technology that’s designed to provide a coverage boost/enhanced Wi-Fi experience in the home“.
The trial will involve “new equipment“, which will be sent to successful applicants free of charge. The mobile and internet provider has also pledged to cover the cost of your bill for the duration of the trial. The trial itself is currently expected to run for approximately 6 months.
The fact that new equipment will be involved makes us think that this is highly likely to be EE’s new Qualcomm-powered and Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be – Extremely High Throughput) capable home broadband router (see prototype – pictured above), which is currently still expected to launch sometime this year (here).
Advertisement
On the other hand, it could also reflect a new Wi-Fi 7 based mesh/repeater system, which might accompany the new router. The launch of a customer trial tends to indicate that the hardware is in its final beta testing stages before a full commercial launch. EE are expected to launch their future Wi-Fi 7 kit alongside a new premium broadband package.
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads.net and Linkedin.
« Ofcom Find UK People Turn to Telecoms Providers for Debt Advice
I have a router and 2 WiFi repeaters.
Fair play, the hardware is no slouch.
Router has:
WiFi 7
2.5Gb WAN
4x 2.5Gb LAN
Repeaters create a WiFi7 mesh and also have 2x 2.5Gbe LAN
Wow that’s sick, how did you get your already?
put it on forums ISPR, show some pictures
What system do you have?
I’ve had an email I signed up just hope I get picked
Was this from EE? Or?
What did it say?
Will be good to hear the feedback on this.
Lol all these people getting ecited over this WiFi 7 router, little do they know the firmware will be shit
Firmware will be trash like the Smart Hub Plus
Any idea, who/when we get the invite?
A direct neighbour has this equipment. The router seems to have excellent specs but with poor configurability, but the Mesh nodes… There is one Mesh node in every room which all work on 40MHz bandwidth but at lowish power. It’s an awful lot of WiFi for someone in an average-sized house with not that many devices. It also seems to be pushing most of the surrounding WiFi routers onto the same surrounding channels causing congestion!