All-new BT Smart Hub 3 router could launch soon with faster Wi-Fi speeds and more

BT BROADBAND customers could soon enjoy more reliable connections and faster wireless speeds, thanks to an upgraded device coming from the R&D labs.

By Aaron Brown, Express Affiliate Development Editor with 10 years of experience writing about the latest developments in consumer technology, product reviews, and buying advice

your bt broadband router smart hub 3 fix woes release date

BT is purportedly working on a brand-new iteration of its Smart Hub Wi-Fi router (Image: BT • GETTY )

BT is poised to introduce a new Wi-Fi router with support for faster Wi-Fi 6 standard, sources speaking to broadband-obsessed blog ISPreview has revealed. According to tipsters with knowledge of the company's plans, BT will launch the new Wi-Fi router – dubbed Smart Hub 3 – alongside an upgraded BT Complete Wi-Fi mesh system to bring these speedier Wi-Fi networks throughout your home.

BT Full Fibre 1 (50Mbps) + £70 FREE Gift Card
Partner image £29.99 View Deal

Pick this broadband package and BT will bundle a £70 Reward Card, which can be used to cover the monthly broadband bills for the first couple of months of your contract ...or to treat yourself to a new gadget. We'll leave the decision in your hands!

Download speed: 50Mbps | Upload speed: 10Mbps | Speed guarantee: 25Mbps | Minimum contract length: 24-months | Set-up costs: £29.99

BT Full Fibre 2 + £110 FREE Gift Card
Partner image £33.99 £29.99 View Deal

If the bumper Gift Card wasn't enough, BT is also upgrading customers on its Fibre 2 plan to its eye-wateringly fast Fibre 500 bundle for one month. That means you'll benefit from download speeds of 500Mbps (7x faster than the UK average)

Download speeds: 74Mbps | Upload speeds: 20Mbps | Minimum contract length: 24-months | Set-up costs: £29.99

Full Fibre 100 – Get 50% Off For 3 Months + One Month Of 500Mbps Speeds FREE
Partner image £35.99 £17.99 View Deal

Dubbed the "Homebuyer's Offer" (don't worry, BT doesn't need to verify your mortgage documents to sign-off on this discount), you'll be able to enjoy download speeds of 150Mbps for half price for the first three months of your new contract!

Download speed: 150Mbps | Upload speed: 30Mbps | Speed Guarantee: Yes, 100Mbps | Minimum contract term: 24-months | Set-up costs: £9.99

Full Fibre 500 – Get 50% Off For 3 Months + 6 Months Of Xbox Game Pass
Partner image £45.99 £22.99 View Deal

BT has slashed the monthly cost of this superfast broadband package in half! BT is also bundling 6-months of Xbox Game Pass, so you can play the latest blockbuster titles on Xbox Series X|S, Samsung TVs, or PC for free!

Download speed: 500Mbps | Upload speed: 73Mbps | Speed Guarantee: Yes, 425Mbps | Minimum contract term: 24-months | Set-up costs: £9.99

Full Fibre 900 – Get 50% Off For 3 Months + 12 Months Of Xbox Game Pass
Partner image £55.99 £27.99 View Deal

This is the fastest broadband package that BT offers – with guaranteed download speeds of 700Mbps. For a limited time, you'll also enjoy access to Xbox Game Pass (worth £10.99 per month) for an entire year at no extra cost!

Download speed: 900Mbps | Upload speed: 110Mbps | Speed Guarantee: Yes, 700Mbps | Minimum contract term: 24-months | Set-up costs: £9.99

BT still doesn't offer Wi-Fi 6 support for its customers – even those paying for the speediest 900Mbps download speeds available via its full-fibre connections. That's in stark contrast with its biggest rival, Virgin Media, which launched its Hub 5 router in October last year. The new Hub 5 was crafted from recycled plastic, supports 2.5Gbps transfer speeds via its ethernet port, and delivers faster speeds to more devices, thanks to the improvements afforded by Wi-Fi 6.

Customers who opt for the fastest full-fibre speeds with TalkTalk will be sent an Amazon-designed Eero 6 router, which boasts support for Wi-Fi 6 as well as a beautifully designed app where users can limit internet access on a per-device or per-person basis. Advanced filters, security features and statistics on usage and speed are also available from the Eero companion app, which is available for both iOS and Android.

According to sources speaking to ISPreview, BT had hoped to launch its Wi-Fi 6 router much earlier – bringing it on par with its broadband rivals. Whispers of an upgraded router first surfaced around this time last year, with suggestions that BT was targeting a late-2021 release date.

your bt broadband router smart hub 3 fix woes release date

Rumours suggest the Smart Hub 3 will launch alongside an updated Complete Wi-Fi mesh system (Image: BT)

However, disruptions caused by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic purportedly caused disruptions to the research and development phase, coupled with the global shortage of semiconductor chips – part of the reason for the scarcity of the likes of and consoles, for example – it seems that BT was forced to delay its launch plans. It now seems that BT Smart Hub 3 will be coming in July 2022, ISPreview claims.

The variant of the Wi-Fi router will support a SIM card, which taps into 5G or 4G mobile internet to keep the home connected if there's an outage. BT already offers this product, dubbed BT Halo, however, the updated model will support Wi-Fi 6 too. Like the existing hardware, BT-owned EE will be used to provide the mobile broadband back-up if there's an issue with the full-fibre infrastructure.

So, what is the big deal about Wi-Fi 6 ...is it really worth all of this effort? Essentially, Wi-Fi 6 unlocks faster wireless speeds and more bandwidth to avoid congestion in busy households. Of course, to take advantage of this feature, you'll need to have a router that's kitted-out with support for Wi-Fi 6 as well as a number of Wi-Fi 6-enabled devices. So those who haven't upgraded their smartphone in five years are unlikely to see any difference when BT mails out the Smart Hub 3.

MORE LIKE THIS

Martin Lewis reveals how customers can 'halve' broadband costs

Wi-Fi is not just about speed, so even those who don't pay for the fastest full-fibre connection from BT are likely to see some benefits. That's because Wi-Fi 6 is designed to better handle a huge number of devices, so you shouldn't see buffering ...even if there are multiple smartphones, laptops, games consoles, and tablets making video calls, video streaming, downloading updates... and more throughout the house.

Of course, it's worth taking everything with a pinch of salt at the moment. After all, if ISPreview's sources are right, BT has already been forced to delay its plan before, so it stands to reason that the same thing could happen again. With BT rumoured to be bringing its upgraded hardware to those on the speediest full-fibre plans first, before rolling out to everyone on its network, it might be some time before you see the benefits.

In the meantime, you could always invest in the likes of the or to bring the benefits of a mesh system and Wi-Fi 6 to your home now. And if you need faster speeds, or lower monthly bills, Express.co.uk has rounded up the best broadband deals around at the bottom below...

Three 5G Home Broadband – 50% Off
Partner image £20 £10 View Deal

For a limited time, Three is offering 50% off its speedy broadband. Powered by superfast 5G, you can expect download speeds comparable with the best fibre packages!

Average speeds: 100Mbps | Unlimited download allowance | Contract length: 24-months

Vodafone Superfast 2 (73Mbps)
Partner image £22 View Deal

Vodafone has slashed the cost of its broadband plans – making speedy downloads more affordable. For a limited time, you can bag download speeds of 73Mbps and a speed guarantee of 37Mbps. There are also no upfront costs either – bargain!

Download speeds: 73Mbps | Speed Guarantee: 37Mbps | Upload speeds: 18Mbps | Set-up costs: £0 | Minimum contract length: 24-months

NOW Super Fibre Broadband (63Mbps)
Partner image £22 View Deal

This Sky-owned broadband firm offers download speeds of 63Mbps with no activation fee and the minimum contract term is just 12-months – so you'll be able to renegotiate a new deal next year, much better than being locked-in for two years like most other deals at this price!

Download speeds: 63Mbps | Speed Guarantee: 62.1Mbps | Upload speeds: 18Mbps | Set-up costs: £0 | Postage: £5 | Minimum contract length: 12-months

Plusnet Unlimited Fibre Extra (66Mbps)
Partner image £22.99 View Deal

Plusnet has dropped its £10 activation fee on this plan – and added a £75 Gift Card to its popular Fibre Extra to spend anywhere that accepts Mastercard. In terms of the broadband bundle, you'll get acceptable 66Mbps speeds and unlimited usage. The 18-month minimum contract isn't the shortest on this list, but it won't tie you in as long as some providers (like BT!)

Download speeds: 66Mbps | Upload speeds: 18Mbps | Upfront cost: £0 | Contract Length: 18 months

Vodafone Superfast 100 (100Mbps)
Partner image £25 View Deal

Vodafone offers download speeds of 100Mbps for much less than rivals like Virgin Media, Sky and BT. There's no upfront cost either. Bargain!

Download speeds: 100Mbps | Speed Guarantee: 50Mbps | Upload speeds: 18Mbps | Set-up costs: £0 | Minimum contract length: 24-months

Virgin Media M100 Fibre Broadband (108Mbps) + Phone
Partner image £26 View Deal

Here's a little tip... Virgin Media charges less for the same broadband speeds when you bundle it with a landline phone, compared to its broadband-only packages. Those same broadband speeds cost £44 a month when bought without the free landline calls!

Download speeds: 108Mbps | Upload speeds: 10Mbps | Contract Length: 18 months | Upfront cost: £35

Sky Ultrafast Broadband (145Mbps)
Partner image £32 View Deal

With download speeds twice as fast as the average home broadband speed in the UK, Sky Ultrafast will ensure you can binge boxsets in crisp 4K Ultra HD and make video calls without buffering!

Download speeds: 145Mbps | Upload speeds: 27Mbps | Set-up costs: £0 | Contract length: 18-months

BT Broadband Fibre 2 (74Mbps) + £110 Free Mastercard + One FREE month of Fibre 500 Speeds
Partner image £33.99 View Deal

BT is upgrading customers on its Fibre 2 plan to its eye-wateringly fast Fibre 500 bundle for an entire month – at no extra cost. And if you're looking for a good freebie, this deal comes with a £110 Gift Card to spend in any shop that accepts Mastercard ...which is basically everywhere!

Download speeds: 74Mbps | Upload speeds: 20Mbps | Set-up costs: £0 | Minimum contract length: 24-months

TalkTalk Future Fibre (900Mbps)
Partner image £49 View Deal

If you're lucky enough to live in an area that's fitted with full-fibre broadband from Openreach, look no further than this incredible deal from TalkTalk. For £13 less than Virgin Media charges, you'll unlock 900Mbps download speeds – that's over 12x faster than the average home broadband connection in the UK!

Download speeds: 900Mbps | Upload speeds: 91Mbps | Set-up costs: £0 | Minimum contract length: 18-months

Sky Gigafast Broadband (900Mbps)
Partner image £55 £52 View Deal

Sky Broadband contracts are just 18-months, that means you'll be able to renegotiate a new deal with Sky or switch to a better deal from a rival provider 6 months earlier than BT or Vodafone!

Download speed: 900Mbps | Upload speed: 90Mbps | Contract length: 18-months | Upfront cost: £0

BT Full Fibre 900 (900Mbps) + 12-month subscription to Xbox Game Pass for FREE
Partner image £55.99 £27.99 View Deal

If you want the best full-fibre connection available from BT, you'll need its Full Fibre 900 plan, which boasts top speeds of 900Mbps and a guaranteed download speed of 700Mbps. That's lightning fast. And to take advantage of that speed, BT is throwing in a one-year subscription to Xbox Game Pass to download and stream the latest blockbuster games!

Download speeds: 900Mbps | Upload speeds: 110Mbps | Set-up costs: £9.99 | Minimum contract length: 18-months

Virgin Media Gig1 Fibre (1,130Mbps)
Partner image £60 View Deal

A staggering 15.5 million Virgin Media customers nationwide can access the company's fastest broadband speeds – more than 1,000Mbps. That's fast enough to download a two-hour blockbuster film in crisp HD from Netflix in under 100 seconds!

Download speeds: 1,130Mbps | Upload speeds: 52Mbps | Contract Length: 18 months | Upfront cost: £35

Would you like to receive news notifications from Daily Express?