Mobile companies compare 5G home ro...
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Mobile companies compare 5G home router launch price plans
Easy to install, fast and cheap. What is the appeal of 5G home routers?
High-speed communication standard "5G" is attracting attention as an alternative to fixed lines. Until now, 5G can be used mainly on smartphones and portable routers, but since the fall of 2021, stationary home routers have appeared from various companies. [Click here for photos] Comparison of the latest 5G home routers and price plans
■ DoCoMo, au, Softbank, UQ launch products
It was released by major mobile phone companies NTT DoCoMo, au (KDDI), Softbank, and KDDI Group's UQ WiMAX (UQ Communications). The maximum communication speed of 5G differs for each company, with DoCoMo up to 4.2 gigabits / second (Gbps, giga 1 billion), and other companies in the 2 Gbps range. It is a common specification that upload (uplink) is much less than 1/10 of download (downlink). The 5G home router works as a Wi-Fi router in the home. Both are compatible with Wi-Fi 6 and have a maximum speed of 1201 mega (M, mega is 1 million) to 2402 Mbps, which is often lower than the speed on the 5G side. It depends on the radio wave environment, but it is unlikely that the speed will reach the nominal value, so you shouldn't worry about it. The maximum number of simultaneous connections is 30 to 128, which is sufficient for ordinary households. All models are equipped with a wired LAN terminal, and it is also possible to connect a personal computer or network home appliance to a router by wire. Each product is basically used in combination with the 5G compatible plan introduced below. The terminal price ranges from about 20,000 to 70,000 yen, but the plans of the three major mobile phone companies are discounted on the monthly charge, and if you use it for 3 years, the terminal fee will be virtually free.
■ There is no limit to the monthly communication volume at around 5,000 yen per month
Four companies offer pricing plans for 5G home routers. The monthly usage fee is around 5,000 yen, which is close to each company. The cheapest is about 4300 yen a month for UQ, followed by about 4600 yen a month for au, but this is for a limited time of about 2 years. Please note that a monthly discount of 550 yen is applied from the contract month. Monthly data traffic is basically unlimited. However, with the exception of Softbank, there is a speed limit when the cumulative total for three days exceeds a certain amount. The standard of the limit is 15GB for au and UQ, and DoCoMo is not disclosed. Especially 4K video has a large data capacity, for example, Netflix's "super high image quality" consumes up to 7GB in one hour. Users with large amounts of data may be unsatisfactory. Au and UQ are a little special regarding the communication area. Monthly communication volume is unlimited in "Standard mode" where some au lines and WiMAX 2+ lines can be used. On the other hand, in "plus area mode" where the communication area is wider than this, there is a limit of 15GB or 30GB per month. The place of use is the limitation unique to 5G home routers. The three major mobile phone companies, excluding UQ, are limited to the installation address specified at the time of contract. If you want to change the place of use, such as when you move, you need to complete the procedure. (Writer Shunsuke Igarashi) [Reconstructed the article published in the January 2022 issue of Nikkei PC21]
Last updated: NIKKEI STYLE
