New BT home hub supports 11n

BT today launched a new version of its Home Hub gateway, which it says gives better Wifi coverage than models provided by any other UK broadband provider.

The claim is based on the fact that the hub supports the 11n 'pre-standard' version of Wifi, available on many other routers but not models bundled by rival services, BT says.

The hub, worth £90 according to BT, will be free to people signing up to BT Total Broadband £24.99-a-month Option 3 broadband deal; and with online orders for its £20.99-a-month Option 2 deal, both of which include a £10 discount for each of the first three months. Existing users can upgrade for £45.

The hub's Wifi switches off at night, cutting power drain by 20 per cent, and there is a special button for insomniacs to turn it back on. Parents can switch off access to their children's computers when they do not want them to use the web.

The new hub is styled in the glossy black fashionable among consumer electronics vendors and the aerials are hidden so as to appeal to non-geeks. It doubles as a Dect hands-free phone base station and a VoIP-enabled Dect phone is included in some deals.

Dect uses dedicated bandwidth in the UK so hands-free calls do not contend with Wifi links. However, BT adoption of 11n will increase use of the technology in cities where its increased coverage could also increase airwave congestion.

BT is following the Wifi Alliance's recommendation that in the most crowded 2.4GHz band, the Wifi will by default be restricted to one channel, halving the throughput; but this restriction can be switched off by users. Two channels will be used in the less crowded 5GHz bands, but these have a shorter range.

BT executives said they were confident that contention will not prove a p roblem in cities, even when people start throwing high-definition TV around. " We will be monitoring the situation closely," one said.

BT Vision will be offering HD video to broadband customers later this year but it lacks the bandwidth for streaming; instead customers will be offered the choice of downloading the video or having it 'trickle fed' to their PVR during the night.

It announced today that it is bundling the Sentanta Sports 1 channel free with its bronze, silver and gold service packages which start at £14 a month.