BT has officially introduced the Smart Hub 3, marking the provider's transition to Wi-Fi 6 standards for its primary residential broadband hardware. This hardware refresh replaces the aging Smart Hub 2 and targets the growing bandwidth requirements of customers on the Openreach full-fiber network.
The Smart Hub 3 features a significant port upgrade compared to its predecessor. BT included a dedicated 2.5GbE WAN port alongside four 1GbE LAN ports, ensuring the router can handle incoming speeds exceeding the traditional gigabit ceiling. As reported by ISPreview, the unit utilizes a 4x4 MIMO antenna configuration for the 5GHz band and 2x2 MIMO for the 2.4GHz band. This arrangement allows for higher spatial stream density, which improves performance in high-density environments where multiple devices compete for airtime.
A notable addition to the Smart Hub 3 is the inclusion of a DECT base station for digital voice services. As BT continues the migration of customers away from the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) ahead of the 2025 shutdown, the router serves as the central hub for the Digital Voice service. The device also integrates with BT's Complete Wi-Fi mesh system, utilizing updated Wi-Fi 6 discs to extend coverage through the home using a dedicated wireless backhaul.
Hardware specifications and environmental design
The internal hardware of the Smart Hub 3 is powered by a Broadcom chipset, according to technical documentation retrieved by ISPreview. This silicon choice enables support for WPA3 encryption and 160MHz channel widths, although the latter is restricted to the 5GHz band as the device does not support the 6GHz spectrum found in Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7. The chassis itself moves away from the previous horizontal slab design in favor of a vertical orientation designed to improve heat dissipation and antenna radiation patterns.
BT noted that the Smart Hub 3 casing is constructed from 100% recycled plastics. The company also implemented a more efficient power management state that reduces consumption during periods of inactivity without requiring a full reboot. This hardware is currently being phased in for new Full Fibre customers, with existing subscribers eligible for upgrades depending on their specific contract tier and the availability of the Complete Wi-Fi add-on.
The arrival of the Smart Hub 3 brings BT’s consumer hardware in line with competitors like EE and Sky, which have already deployed Wi-Fi 6 capable gateways. As Openreach continues to expand its 1.2Gbps and 1.8Gbps speed tiers, the 2.5GbE port on the Smart Hub 3 provides the necessary overhead to prevent the router from becoming a local bottleneck on the network.
