{"id":17452,"date":"2018-11-26T22:00:13","date_gmt":"2018-11-26T22:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/?p=17452"},"modified":"2018-11-28T07:45:16","modified_gmt":"2018-11-28T07:45:16","slug":"bt-launch-new-smart-hub-2-broadband-router-and-complete-wi-fi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/index.php\/2018\/11\/bt-launch-new-smart-hub-2-broadband-router-and-complete-wi-fi.html","title":{"rendered":"BT Launch New Smart Hub 2 Broadband Router and Complete Wi-Fi UPDATE"},"content":{"rendered":"

After several months of trials UK ISP BT<\/a> will tomorrow morning announce the launch of their new Smart Hub 2 (SH2) wireless ultrafast broadband router, which is complemented by a “coverage guarantee<\/em>” to deliver strong WiFi<\/a> signals across your home via the new “Complete Wi-Fi<\/em>” solution.<\/p>\n

The original Smart Hub<\/strong> launched in 2016 (here<\/a>) and at the time it was quite an impressive piece of kit for a bundled device, boasting top theoretical wireless speeds of up to 1917Mbps (2.4GHz and 5GHz combined) via 7 antennas, Gigabit Ethernet (LAN ports) and various other features. Since then there’s also been a slightly different variant for FTTP<\/a> subscribers and the Smart Hub X<\/strong> for G.fast<\/a> users (here<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Similarly the new Smart Hub 2<\/strong> router has been designed with the latest generation of “ultrafast broadband<\/em>” (FTTP<\/a> and G.fast<\/a>) services in mind, although it’s WiFi<\/a> speed at 5GHz is still 1733Mbps and thus akin to the SH1 (we don’t know the 2.4GHz speed yet). As you’d expect the new router also features Gigabit LAN ports and integrates an ADSL2+, VDSL2<\/a> and G.fast<\/a> modem (like before there’s a different variant for FTTP<\/a> that swaps one LAN for a WAN port).<\/p>\n

On top of that BT<\/a> has also chosen to ship it with an FXS port<\/strong> (phone), which will be useful for VoIP calling. The latter is particularly important in light of the imminent arrival of the wholesale SOGEA<\/a><\/strong> (standalone broadband) service, which is due to launch via Openreach<\/a> next year. “The Smart Hub 2 and Wi-Fi Discs are future proofed to deliver Ultrafast speeds, Complete Wi-Fi and Digital Voice<\/em>,” said BT<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"bt<\/p>\n

The new router is also being launched alongside a BT Complete Wi-Fi<\/strong> service that will be attached to their premium “BT Plus<\/em>” packages (costs an extra \u00a35 per month<\/strong>), which aims to “guarantee<\/em>” you a strong WiFi<\/a> signal “in every room<\/em>” of your home by bundling the SH2 with a WiFi boosting Disc (like the repeaters you get with the BT Whole Home Wi-Fi<\/strong> kit).<\/p>\n

The disc itself remains the property of BT but the Hub becomes yours to keep as soon as you get it. However if one disc isn’t enough to achieve the stated outcome then BT will throw in another one at no extra cost (up to a maximum of 3 discs) and if that doesn’t deliver coverage to every single room then a bill credit of \u00a320 will be offered.<\/p>\n

As a result of all this BT claims that a “four-bedroom home could see an increase in Wi-Fi speeds of up to 25% around the home with just one disc<\/em>.”<\/p>\n