Vodafone launch their first 5G mi-fi device

The Vodafone 5G Mobile Hotspot is only available with unlimited data and comes with upfront costs starting from £100.

Customers can sign up to 24-month plans for the cheapest deals, although 12-month and 30-day plans are also available.

These Vodafone mobile broadband deals come with the fastest available 5G speeds.

Credit: kailim/Shutterstock.com

5G mobile broadband

This new device from Vodafone is their first mi-fi or personal hotspot device that uses the Vodafone 5G network as well as the 4G network.

Vodafone customers can choose from the following 5G mobile broadband options:

• 24-month contract with £100 upfront and £25.50 per month
• 12-month contract with £150 upfront and £33 per month
• 30-day contract with £200 upfront and £37 per month

All these deals provide access to the fastest available speeds in an area and customers won't be hit with any usage caps either.

Hotspot

Customers signing up to these new 5G mobile broadband deals from Vodafone will receive the Vodafone 5G Mobile Hotspot.

It's made by ZTE and its features include:

• 5G and WiFi 6 connectivity
• Ability to connect up to 32 devices
• Up to eight hours battery life
• 2.4-inch touchscreen
• Simple to set up

The inclusion of a touchscreen is rare for a mobile broadband device and gives customers more information about their device such as the speed and how much of the battery is left.

In terms of battery life, the eight hours offered by the Vodafone 5G Mobile Broadband hotspot is longer than the six hours we often see with mobile broadband devices but customers will still need to recharge the device for longer use or multiple days of use.

Being able to connect up to 32 devices makes this 5G hotspot a better personal hub than many 4G devices that often manage around 10.

Plus, it offers compatibility with the latest Wi-Fi 6 standard whereas other devices usually offer Wi-Fi 5.

Find out more about mobile wi-fi devices and the differences between them and mobile routers or mobile dongles.

Vodafone 5G

Vodafone 5G was the second network to launch in July 2019 and has since expanded to around 124 towns and cities across the UK.

Yet just because 5G coverage has arrived in a city, it doesn't mean that it's necessarily widespread as we explain in our guide to the best UK network for 5G.

Vodafone has offered a 5G home broadband solution for a while now with a 5G version of their GigaCube device available direct from them - albeit with high upfront and rolling costs.

In comparison, the monthly costs associated with the new Vodafone 5G Mobile Hotspot are much more reasonable, yet the high upfront costs remain.

Even customers committing to a 24-month deal will need to pay £100 upfront for the device, something that many customers will be wary of doing.

However, it's in line with the set-up costs EE charge for their 5GEE WiFi hub on a 24-month deal, so there are few opportunities yet for customers to get a cheap 5G hotspot deal.

It's unlikely many customers will want to splash out £100 upfront for a 5G mobile broadband device from Vodafone, but the emergence of their first 5G hotspot is a welcome development and costs will undoubtedly come down in the future.