Netgear this week announced the Nighthawk M1 mobile router, which is the industry’s first 4G LTE device with download speed up to 1 Gbps. The Nighthawk M1 is powered by Qualcomm’s X16 LTE modem with 4x4 MIMO announced a year ago and will be available only on Telstra’s 4GX LTE network in Australia. As soon as similar networks are launched in different parts of the world, the same router or its derivatives may hit the market elsewhere as well.

The Netgear Nighthawk M1 mobile router is aimed at those who need to set up ultra-fast mobile broadband connection for multiple people and up to 20 devices in areas where cable broadband is unavailable (there are a lot of rural areas in Australia where there is no broadband). The Nighthawk M1 can be used like a normal portable router (it has a GbE port as well as two USB headers) or as a NAS/media streamer (it has a microSD slot). The router also has an inbuilt battery (5040 mAh) which is rated for up to 24 hours of standard use. The Nighthawk M1 does not require any special setup, but it is equipped with a 2.4” display to monitor its performance/data usage and there is also a special app for Android and iOS that allows a user to manage the router (network settings, parental controls, etc.).

At the heart of the Netgear Nighthawk M1 there is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X16 LTE modem (paired with Qualcomm’s WTR5975 RF transceiver). The modem supports 4x4 MIMO, four carrier aggregation (4xCA) and higher order modulation (256QAM) to download data at up to 1 Gbps (in select areas) as well as 64QAM and 2CA to upload data at up to 150 Mbps over Telstra’s 4GX LTE network (Telstra's network is only 3CA it is worth noting). We already know that the X16 modem will be integrated into Snapdragon 835 SoCs for smartphones, but right now it is available only as a standalone chip. The Nighthawk M1 router is also equipped with Qualcomm’s 2×2 802.11 b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi solution that can connect up to 20 devices simultaneously using 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands concurrently.

  Netgear Nighthawk M1 MR1100
SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon X16 LTE modem
MDM9x50
Display 2.4"
Network 4G: 4GX LTE CAT 16,
4-band CA, 4x4 MIMO
700/900/1800/2100/2600 MHz
3G: 850/900/1900/2100 MHz
LTE Down: 1000 Mb/s
Up: 150 Mb/s
Dimensions 105.5 × 105.5 × 20.35 mm
Weight 240 grams
Battery 5040 mAh (removable)
Connectivity 2×2 802.11 b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi for up to 20 devices
External Ports Ethernet
USB-A
USB-C
2 × TS-9 connectors for external antennas
Storage MicroSD card with media server/NAS capabilities
SIM Size unknown
Colors Grey
Launch Country Australia
Price $360 AUD ($276 USD)

The Netgear Nighthawk M1 (MR1100) mobile router will be available from Telstra in Australia later this month for $360 AUD ($276 USD) standalone. Telstra also plans to offer the router with a range of broadband plans.

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Source: Netgear

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  • SaolDan - Thursday, February 2, 2017 - link

    ok fine. should i say something like "ohhh i love this modem". neat pretty much sums up what i feel like saying.
  • HomeworldFound - Thursday, February 2, 2017 - link

    Amazing!!!
  • SaolDan - Friday, February 3, 2017 - link

    Homeworldfound understands
  • Desidero - Thursday, February 2, 2017 - link

    Up to 1Gbit/s download speed, but only 5GB on the plan (2.85/5GB used in the image). Seems like they should be focusing on more network capacity before they worry about faster download speeds, no?
  • TheinsanegamerN - Thursday, February 2, 2017 - link

    Agreed. We should be at 50GB for $40-50 a month by this point. Mobile data prices are outrageous.
  • Trixanity - Thursday, February 2, 2017 - link

    I can get 200 GB of data for $40. So it's pretty much just the North American market that's messed up. Granted, it's not exactly 1 Gbit/s speeds - not even close.
  • ajp_anton - Thursday, February 2, 2017 - link

    The most expensive "unlimited everything" plan I can get is 50€. Still not Gbit/s speeds, but 300Mbit/s. 100Mbit/s is half that price.
  • close - Friday, February 3, 2017 - link

    You guys really should share the name of the provider. If I'm lucky I live nearby.
  • TheinsanegamerN - Friday, February 3, 2017 - link

    I'd be fine with even just 20. That's enough to stream 1080p60. I dont NEED gigabit, per se.

    I'd love more data, and to be able to cut my cable provider. If somebody offered 200GB, i'd drop cable in a second. I only used 50GB last month.....

    but the most you can get here is t mobile's unlimited data, which comes with pages of fine print, and gets throttled after 28GB (and if you use more data through your hotspot then the device itself, they have the right to terminate your plan, which is BS).

    Or verizon, but 200GB through them would cost a LOT. 100GB is $450 a month through them....
  • peteroj - Friday, February 3, 2017 - link

    I guess you haven't been to Australia where this device was launched.

    In 2017 mobile data should be uncapped and only covered by T&C's to protect from ridiculous use.

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