Amazon’s eero Ensures Smart Homes Stay Online

Amazon-owned eero has introduced a device that provides dedicated cellular backup connectivity for the user’s eero network when a primary interconnection goes down.

The eero Signal 4G LTE is compatible with USB-C-powered Wi-Fi 6 or greater eeros and eero PoE Gateway, the company said in a Wednesday (Feb. 11) blog post.

To deploy the new device, users connect it to a compatible eero and add an annual eero Plus subscription in the app for backup data, according to the post.

The company recommends an eero Plus subscription at $99.99 per year for customers with shorter and less frequent outages, and an eero Plus 100 subscription at $199.99 per year for those facing longer and more frequent outages, per the post. eero Plus subscribers can upgrade to eero Plus 100 at any time if they need more data.

“eero Signal provides dedicated cellular backup connectivity for your entire eero network, not just a few devices,” the company said in the release. “Your network will automatically switch over in the event of an internet outage without you having to lift a finger.”

The device can maintain connectivity for home security cameras, video calls and streaming services, according to the post.

“When you experience an outage, eero Signal will kick in and automatically connect to the optimal cellular network for your location,” the company said. “When your internet service is restored, the device automatically goes into standby mode so it’s ready for the next internet outage.”

Later this year, eero will add an eero Signal 5G device that can operate on both 5G networks and 4G LTE networks, per the post.

Amazon acquired eero in 2019, saying the company’s system was designed to replace the traditional WiFi router, Wi-Fi connection extender and internet booster in a two- to four-bedroom home.

An Amazon executive said at the time that eero’s mesh Wi-Fi solution makes connected devices “just work” and that the two companies have “a shared vision that the smart home experience can get even easier.”

Later in 2019, Amazon introduced a new subscription for eero that enabled advanced security for devices connected to a home Wi-Fi network, content filtering, ad blocking and insights through an in-app activity center.