BT broadband gets free security, a new router and BT Mobile

BT has announced a package of upgrades for its home broadband customers, spanning mobile, security and Wi-Fi hardware as part of a wider refresh.

BT Mobile is returning as a SIM-only service on 30-day rolling contracts, with cyber threat protection included at no extra cost.

The launch also introduces the new Smart Hub 3 router, bringing Wi-Fi 6 support for the first time alongside built-in threat protection.

Illustration: Choose.co.uk

BT Mobile & Smart Hub 3

BT has relaunched BT Mobile for broadband customers, introduced free cyber threat protection across its consumer broadband services, and confirmed the Smart Hub 3 as its new Wi-Fi 6 router.

The announcements were made at a Wembley Stadium event on 7 May as part of a wider brand refresh tied to BT's new national campaign, 'Behind Brilliant Things', and its role as Official Telecommunications Partner of UEFA EURO 2028.

BT Mobile had been closed to new customers since 2023, when BT Group accelerated its push to make EE its primary consumer brand. The relaunch brings it back in a narrower form - SIM-only, eSIM-based and offered on 30-day rolling contracts, with no handset deals attached - while tying the service directly to BT broadband rather than positioning it as a standalone mobile proposition.

Security is the thread running through both of these announcements. BT broadband customers will have access to enhanced cyber threat protection at no extra cost, covering scam calls, suspicious links and malicious websites, while BT Mobile plans will include AI-powered scam screening features.

The Smart Hub 3, which replaces the ageing Wi-Fi 5 Smart Hub 2, also adds built-in network-level protection through Hub Threat Protect alongside Wi-Fi 6 support, compatibility with BT's Complete Wi-Fi Plus mesh system and Hybrid Connect mobile backup support. BT has also redesigned its MyBT app to make it easier for customers to manage broadband, mobile and security services from a single place.

BT is positioning the refresh around online safety, reliability and household connectivity - themes that also sit at the centre of its new 'Behind Brilliant Things' campaign launching across TV, outdoor, press and digital from 8 May.

The campaign focuses on BT's role supporting homes, businesses and public services, including scam protection, emergency service infrastructure and national connectivity.

Cyber Threat Protect & Hub Threat Protect

For BT broadband customers, the most immediate practical changes are the arrival of Wi-Fi 6 through the new Smart Hub 3 and the addition of cyber threat protection at no extra cost.

Cyber Threat Protect, powered by Norton, is included free with BT Broadband and covers up to 15 devices across PC, Mac, Android and iOS. Features include Scam Assistant - allowing customers to upload suspicious messages, links, emails or QR codes for instant analysis - alongside dark web monitoring, social media monitoring, safe browsing and a password manager.

The service requires a short setup through the MyBT app but continues running in the background once activated.

The Smart Hub 3 adds a further layer through Hub Threat Protect, which blocks malicious traffic before it reaches devices connected to the home network, including phones, laptops, smart TVs and connected home products.

Importantly, Hub Threat Protect operates at router firmware level rather than across BT's core broadband network. That is why the feature is exclusive to the Smart Hub 3 rather than extending automatically to existing Smart Hub 2 customers. BT already provides basic DNS-level website blocking across its broadband services, but Hub Threat Protect adds more advanced threat visibility and per-device controls through the MyBT app.

BT said the Smart Hub 3 is now being supplied to new broadband customers and those still using the older Smart Hub 1. Existing Smart Hub 2 customers wanting the new router will need to request one separately, although BT has not yet confirmed how the process will work or whether additional charges could apply.

For customers also taking BT Mobile, plans include built-in call screening for unknown numbers alongside AI-powered analysis of suspicious texts, QR codes and emails at no extra cost. The core functionality is comparable to EE's Scam Guard - the same call and message screening that EE charges £2 a month for - though EE's version adds mobile antivirus and ransomware protection on top, which BT Mobile does not currently include.

Plusnet customers are not included in any of these changes. The Plusnet Hub Two shares its underlying hardware platform with BT's Smart Hub 2, which is now beginning to look increasingly dated against the Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7 routers offered by many competing broadband providers. Plusnet has historically followed BT's hardware platform changes over time, but no equivalent upgrade path has been announced.

BT: reliability, familiarity & trust

The clearest way to read BT's announcement is as a retention play rather than a recruitment drive. BT is giving existing broadband customers more reasons to stay within the BT ecosystem rather than drifting elsewhere for mobile, security or newer hardware.

The security element is arguably the most strategically significant part of the update. Fraud affecting UK telecom customers is now at record levels, with Cifas recording 444,000 cases in 2025 - the highest annual total on record - amid growing use of AI-generated phishing emails, scam texts and deepfake calls. BT is responding by embedding protection directly into the core customer experience rather than treating it as a paid add-on.

That creates a notable contrast within the wider market. O2 already includes equivalent call protection free as standard; EE and Vodafone continue to charge, leaving the market split over where the boundary sits between baseline protection and paid security features.

The update also sharpens BT Group's broader brand positioning. The 'Behind Brilliant Things' campaign - centred on reliability, public infrastructure and national connectivity - reinforces BT as a dependable household utility brand centred on familiarity and trust, while EE increasingly represents the premium, performance-led side of the business.

That leaves Plusnet in the most awkward position of the three. It now sits behind BT on hardware, overlaps with EE pricing at some higher speed tiers, and remains outside the scope of this week's wider security and platform refresh. If the three-brand strategy is to hold, Plusnet increasingly needs its own investment case.