Mobile operator and UK ISP EE (BT) today reveals for the first time its next-generation home broadband router powered by Qualcomm and compatible with Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be – ultra-high throughput), first hinted at in 2023 (here)), and is expected to be released sometime this year (probably by mid-2024).
In case you forgot, Wi-Fi 7 includes the use of an additional 6 GHz channel with a channel bandwidth of 320 MHz (Wi-Fi 6E has a channel bandwidth of 160 MHz) for higher capacity. ) and multi-link operations. (MLO) allows data to be transmitted on multiple bands simultaneously. 4K QAM improves peak data transmission performance by up to 20% (plus other improvements).
Note: In theory, Wi-Fi 7 can achieve theoretical peak data speeds of up to approximately 40-46 Gbps (gigabits per second) within a local network, although your real-world experience will likely be much lower ( (real-world peaks of 5-6 Gbps) are more realistic).
Last year, EE said Wi-Fi 7 should be adopted sooner than usual because it has faster FTTP broadband packages (1.6Gbps), cloud gaming, immersive AR/VR, 4K/8K video streaming, and more, and the number of WiFi-connected devices in the average home will double over the next five years. This means data demands are increasing, and wireless networks need to keep up.
The new router itself is effectively smart hub 4 (We don’t know if it will use that branding yet.) However, aside from adding support for Wi-Fi 7, the new device is expected to have roughly the same features as the existing device . smart hub 3/plus The device was released last year. BT/EE is known to develop its own operating system (OS) and firmware for routers. project indigo.
However, outside of that, little is known about what the final device will offer. But today’s photos (credit to Express) give us our first real glimpse of the new hardware. The router is widely expected to be part of EE’s new premium package, but its details remain a closely guarded secret. However, it’s probably not worth rushing to adopt his WiFi 7, as it won’t be that important until other devices on your home network can take advantage of the same technology.
