Is the OPPO 5G CPE T1a router a waste of money ?

I need to connect to Vodafone 4G or EE 4G because of 1.6 MB landline speed and unreliability.
I am considering buying the OPPO 5G T1a router , in order to futureproof.
Is this a good idea, or am I making a big mistake ?

That is a lot of money, It depends how long it is going to be before they bring fibre to you, if you pay out that amount and then able to get fibre in 12 months then it is not a good buy, I suppose you could sell it.
If you have no chance of getting fibre for a few years and you can get 5G then it may be a good buy.

IIWY, I'd start with whatever router Vodafone or EE provide with their broadband service - then at least if there's any problem, they can't claim it's a problem with your router, and it's up to them either to fix it or release you from contract.

Then, once you've been using it for a few months and know how well it works, you could consider upgrades (e.g. new router and/or external antenna). But there's no point buying an expensive gadget to "futureproof" which may not be needed, and will be obsolete in a couple of years anyway.

And before all that, I'd start by getting a PAYG SIM card for each of the 4 main networks and testing them in a mobile phone - at several different times of day and at different locations in the house - to see which one gives the most reliable connection.

In reply to a post by damian_666:

Is this a good idea, or am I making a big mistake ?

Hopefully you have an unlocked Android or iPhone around that supports 5G? Then you can easily test if an expensive purchase would make sense.

Not all operators give 5G on PAYG.

The supplied hub is generally quite good at getting good speeds. I’ve seen a few hundred Mbps on the 5G hubs.

I would try their device it will likely meet the needs eg EE

https://ee.co.uk/broadband/pay-monthly-mobile-broadb...

Edit I think it’s CAT22 which I think exceeds the one you posted.

Edited by ukhardy07 (Wed 24-May-23 13:38:26)

In reply to a post by ukhardy07:

Edit I think it’s CAT22 which I think exceeds the one you posted.

The Oppo 5G router posted says it uses a Qualcomm X55 modemwhich is LTE Cat 22. (I'm not sure the LTE Cat's go much above this). Its quite likely the EE modem also uses a similar chipset or competitor from Mediatek.

However the network's own modem/routers will likely be locked, as I'm not sure if Ofcom's rule applies to modems?

Edited by jchamier (Wed 24-May-23 17:20:14)

Many ISPs lease equipment nowadays in general so they get a whole service which allows ongoing firmware updates, a team who are on a retainer potentially if there’s a major incident, and allows more tailored solutions like mesh etc. Hence I would expect you finish the contract and return the hub to the provider.

To answer your question, I do not see benefit in purchasing top of the line kit yourself. This is personal choice. The market to pay more monthly and retain top of the line leased kit on each renewal offers more likelihood you won’t be on kit that doesn’t support the latest and greatest next best thing (we don’t know the future). Cost wise the bundles all in can work out more and hence I keep an eye out on deals and cash back sites such as Quidco and I only switch when the price is right (as Bruce would say). Again no hard and fast rule it’s all personal opinion.