It’s a little-known fact that Vodafone’s mobile network can also provide your home with broadband internet access. Here’s how it works and how you can get it.
Many people tend to think of their home broadband connection as wholly ‘WiFi’ or even just ‘internet’. But WiFi is just the short-range wireless connection between your router and devices such as your laptops and smartphones. The technology that then connects your router to the wider internet is different and can significantly impact the quality of your daily online experience. That’s where Vodafone 5G Broadband (known as Fixed Wireless Access by spoddy boffins in some circles) comes in.
So what is Vodafone 5G Broadband? What is Fixed Wireless Access?
With Vodafone 5G Broadband, your router connects to the internet using Vodafone’s mobile signal instead of fibre optic or copper cables.
With most home broadband packages, your router is connected to your local telephone exchange using cables that consists of fibre optics, copper or a combination of the two. Although Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) sounds a bit like an oxymoron at first, it merely means that your router wirelessly connects to the internet through a mobile 4G or 5G network, rather than cabling leading away from your home. FWA is a term used mostly by industry experts. Vodafone calls it 5G Broadband.
The Power Hub router supplied to Vodafone 5G Broadband customers.
Is that all? Can’t I do that already with my smartphone? For busy households having a dedicated router is more convenient than using your phone as a hotspot, as it gives everyone a better online experience.
You can indeed share your smartphone’s 4G or 5G connection with other devices over WiFi. This is done using a feature called mobile hotspot, also known as personal hotspot or portable hotspot.
But having a router dedicated to the job has its advantages over using a smartphone in hotspot mode. As their casings are physically bigger, a router will have room for not only more WiFi antennae, but more capable ones too, so they’re able to connect more devices simultaneously and at greater range too. Plus, there’s the convenience of not tying up your smartphone every time someone else in your household wants to go online.
Further still, if your household has shared devices and IoT devices – such as smart TVs, games consoles, smart thermostats and doorbell cams – it’s more convenient to ensure that these are always online through 5G Broadband, rather than hanging off someone’s smartphone that will need to leave the home at some point.
There’s one other potential advantage to bear in mind. Your smartphone plan may not have an unlimited data allowance, but all Vodafone 5G Broadband plans do. So there’d be no need to ration your online activities to save data.
Full Fibre broadband: Everything you need to know
Full fibre broadband is in the news a lot, but there are crucial differences between the types you can get. We explain what those are and why it matters.
What is Vodafone’s Fixed Wireless Access service in the UK called?
In the UK, Vodafone’s FWA service is simply called 5G Broadband.
Are Gigacube and 5G Broadband the same thing?
Gigacube was the name for the router that Vodafone included in the previous version of the service now known as 5G Broadband. Many Vodafone customers have been using them in the UK for several years, from surgeons to gamers.
So what is new with Vodafone 5G Broadband? What has changed?
Thanks to the creation of VodafoneThree, 5G Broadband is now available in millions more premises than before.
Plenty of things. Customers of Vodafone UK and Three Mobile, can use each other’s networks depending on which one provides the best signal in their area. As a result of this improvement in signal availability, Vodafone 5G Broadband can provide home broadband service to an extra 3.7million homes where full fibre isn’t currently available.
How fast is Vodafone 5G Broadband?
It depends on all sorts of factors, but around either 150Mbps or 50Mbps.
It depends on factors such as where you live and how close your nearest mast is. Some households will be able to receive download speeds of around 150Mbps. Others will get download speeds of around 50Mbps.
Mobile phone masts: Everything you need to know
Finding suitable sites, securing planning permission, and building mobile phone masts is more of a tricky and time-consuming business than you may have realised. Our Q&A explains why.
As with the service for smartphones, both the speeds and geographic availability of the 5G Broadband service are dependent on the extent of 4G and 5G rollout in any given area.
Even if Vodafone can get the necessary planning permissions to build the needed masts (which isn’t guaranteed), the strength of the signal can be affected by obstacles such as trees, buildings and – of course – the distance between your home and the nearest mast.
How do I find out if I can get Vodafone 5G Broadband?
Use the new availability checker on the Vodafone UK website.
Use the new integrated availability checker on the Vodafone UK website. Type in your postcode and it will recommend either full fibre or 5G Broadband, depending on which one is fastest in your area.
How much mobile data can I use on 5G Broadband? What is the data allowance?
All 5G Broadband plans include unlimited data.
Can I use Vodafone 5G Broadband wherever I want, outside my home?
No, as it’s not designed for that. It needs mains power for a start.
The router needs power from a standard wall plug socket and, of course, mobile signal from a Vodafone or Three mast. If you need a portable WiFi network while travelling, then consider the Vodafone 5G Mobile Hotspot. This router also uses the Vodafone mobile network for its internet connection but is designed for travel, so it’s pocket sized and battery powered.
Your flexible friend: The Vodafone 5G Mobile Hotspot
This battery-powered, pocket-sized portable WiFi router can be used in all sorts of situations, from keeping the kids entertained to taking card payments.
As no cabling needs to be laid, you can just plug in your router and log on. No engineer visit needed.
What happens if I can’t get a strong-enough mobile signal in my home, even though it’s strong enough outdoors?
Vodafone can provide an outdoor hub that can relay the mobile signal to your router. This can be mounted to the outside of your home without the need for an engineer visit.
The Outdoor Hub supplied, when necessary, to Vodafone 5G Broadband customers.
Can I use Vodafone 5G Broadband for multiplayer online gaming?
Most online multiplayer games will work with Vodafone 5G Broadband.
Some will not as their match-finding or competitor/friend-finding features don’t work with CG-NAT (Carrier Grade Network Address Translation). This technology is a workaround for the problem where there aren’t enough IP addresses (the unique numerical identifiers that every device should have when it’s online for sending and receiving data) to go around. It works fine in most cases, but can cause issues with some applications. Most notably some online games, but also a few others such as remote desktop apps and running your own server.
If in doubt, check with the developer of the game or software in question for assistance. They may have a workaround allowing it to work successfully with CGNAT.
How long is the contract for Vodafone 5G Broadband?
You can choose either a 24-month plan or a rolling 30-day contract.
How much does Vodafone 5G Broadband cost?
50Mbps Vodafone 5G Broadband prices
30-day rolling plan – £30 a month
24-month plan – £21 a month
150Mbps Vodafone 5G Broadband prices
30-day rolling plan – £32 a month
24-month plan – £22 a month
Why would I want a rolling 30-day contract?
Some people may appreciate the flexibility of being able to cancel their contract with only 30 days’ notice. This includes renters, such as students and other house shares, as well as people who have just moved home and are awaiting installation of a more traditional broadband service.
What happens if I’m an existing Vodafone Gigacube or Three Home Broadband customer?
You can continue using your existing service.
What happens when I cancel my service?
You’ll need to return your router, and outdoor hub if you requested one, to Vodafone within 30 days of cancellation.
