Broadband ISP and mobile operator EE (BT) has today launched a second 1.6 Gbps Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) bundle on Openreach’s network, called ‘Broadband designed for gamers‘ package and claims to offer online players “lower latency, geographic game server and home network prioritization,” among others.
In case anyone has forgotten, EE already launched a 1.6Gbps (120Mbps upload) package for £69.99 per month last year ( here ), which came bundled with their new Wi-Fi 6 capability Smart Hub Plus router and other kit. This was based on Openreach’s latest 1.8Gbps tier (requires a new 2.5Gbps ONT port to install in your home) and was also promoted for use by gamers.
NOTE: Openreach’s full fiber network currently covers almost 14.5 million premises in the UK and aims to reach 25 million by December 2026 (80%+), before targeting up to 30 million by 2030.
The fact is that an FTTP connection, at any speed, should deliver excellent gaming latency and so the main question we have to ask today is – what does that extra £10 a month get you with this new bundle (the new bundle is £79.99 per month)? Followed by, is it worth the extra money?
According to EE, the Smart Hub Plus router that comes with this package includes ‘Game mode‘, which is something that previously came as part of them WiFi Booster. This feature is powered by Netduma and adds geo-filtering as well as ping-optimis. In addition, the package also includes 24-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (worth almost £200 in total), giving players access to hundreds of games, which is good if you like Microsoft’s platform.
What is Game Mode?
➤ Geo Filter – selects the highest quality servers and blocks all those with high latency for the best in the game.
➤ Ping Optimiser – allowing customers to enjoy a well-tuned connection with less buffering when gaming, with server ping reduction of up to 24% according to tests conducted by Netduma developers.
However, whether you really need game mode is debatable, as a good vanilla FTTP line should already give excellent latency and stability, unless your ISP is particularly bad with their routing arrangements/ compliance/capacity. Not to mention that people are usually pretty good at ‘Geo Filtering’ from the server list itself.
Sam Kemp, Director of Games at EE, said:
“By introducing Broadband Made for Gamers, we believe we are taking a big step in our ambition to become the UK’s number one gaming destination by creating a broadband package that is truly tailored for gamers to enhance experiences their in the game. Features such as Game Mode as well as Full 1.6 Gbps Fiber will give gamers an extra edge when they are gaming and customers will never be short of the latest and most exciting titles with Xbox Our all-inclusive 24-month Game Pass Ultimate..”
EE adds that tests performed on their Full Fiber network using Cisco’s ThousandEyes (formerly SamKnows) performance monitoring technology.reveals that it offers a latency reduction of over a third compared to standard broadband“, although they don’t give any specific details or define what”broadband standard” means. A more interesting test would be to see how the new package compares to their entry-level 100Mbps+ FTTP plans for latency.
Admittedly, we’re always a bit skeptical when an ISP claims to offer a multiplayer-optimized service for online video games, because there’s a limit to how much you can tweak FTTP connections to extract improvements in latency. Furthermore, the netcode that multiplayer games use must also be optimized for slower connections, meaning that after a certain point there is an element of diminishing returns for those with the lowest latencies.
Remember that your latency (ping times) will also depend on aspects of your local network configuration, such as if your device is connecting via WiFi (what standard?) or cable etc. Overall, it looks like the main cost difference with this bundle is the addition of that Xbox Game Pass.