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Chevrolet To Offer Unlimited Data Plan With Cars (bbc.com)
Chevrolet has become the first carmaker to offer an unlimited data plan with its cars. From a report on BBC: The deal, for a 4G LTE data plan, applies to cars sold in the US from 3 March and will cost $20 a month. It is being offered with the help of US carrier OnStar and will see vehicles fitted with a wi-fi hotspot that connects to the web via LTE. Chevrolet said it was offering the deal because in-car data use had grown so fast. Figures gathered by Chevrolet suggest the amount of data used via wi-fi in its cars jumped by 200% last year. In 2016, it said, Chevrolet in-car hotspots had handled about four million gigabytes of data. The LTE-based hotspots are available across the entire range of vehicles made by Chevrolet.
Home wifi for $20/mo!
Brb buying a cheap GM
Most all US mobile providers now provide unlimited data with tethering. No need to pay $20 more.
I can only see a niche need for data in a car. Frankly I want my dash simplified down to the basics again. I don't want menus, I want a few key knobs and tactile buttons I can feel without taking my eye off the road. Give me a car without all this BS. Most of it will be obsolete long before the car is worn out, which is a major problem.
That doesn't come with 'free' built-in tracking?
I hope the security is better than I expect it to be. Roving hotspots with mediocre credentials could make for some interesting future problems. If someone comes up with a reliable way to crack the current wireless encryption standards any time in the next 10 years some of these vehicles will still be on the road. At least with an uplink they can theoretically update the firmware, but given the examples of just about every company I've dealt with, especially companies that make "smart" anything, I'd be surprised if that happened.
Wonder how secure this is.....
Lisa needs braces.
Roaming??? or drive out side of usa and 1GB = new car is roaming fees.
Is it even an option to have none of this wireless tethering to known-flawed automaker systems that aren't designed with a lick of security in mind?
Is that coherent to anyone?
Maw! Fire up the karma burner!
If you sign up for this, you sign up for all of your location data and the operational parameters of your car being constantly uploaded and sold to the highest bidder. Actually the trap has already been sprung and that data (or some of it) is already being uploaded. The real trap is that with this you get to pay for the privilege of giving up your privacy.
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Why would someone pay for a WiFi hotspot that you can't take out of the car when you can have a smartphone that fits in your pocket?
I guess we'll have to wait til tomorrow to know for sure, but all the cellular carriers are saying "unlimited" but they really mean xxGB of data then we slow you down to 2G speeds until your bill cycle resets. I've scoured the Onstar, Chevy, and AT&T sites, but there's no details... no * with a link at the bottom stating the terms. Personally, I think the $20 will depend on what you really get. Right now on Onstar.com its 4Gb for $20 a month. So if the new "unlimited" is 4Gb then throttled to 2G speeds for $20 I'm not sure it will be better than adding it to my existing AT&T shared data plan for $10 a month. But if the $20 "unlimited" or more like 10Gb than throttled or not throttled at all, then it might be worth it.
Everything has to be a SHINY TOY
Get over yourselves.
I have a barely used 2015 Chevy that I bought recently. It has OnStar. I like the car a lot. I don't like OnStar. In my car I can connect my cell phone to the car audio system by Bluetooth but I can either only connect it to answer phone calls or I can connect it only to stream music from it. Not both from the same device - only one of those per connected device. So I opted to answer phone calls. I have come to realize that OnStar is deliberately designed crippled service and the reason they do that is that they want you to pay them money so they can send you step by driving directions over the audio system instead of you using a free service like Google Maps. Additionally they want old people to pay for phone call minutes so they use their cars to call people instead of using the phone to do so. One of the constant frustrating problems I have with OnStar is that because I set up the car to use hands free answering of incoming calls through it, it intercepts EVERY attempt I make to talk to the phone. I have an iPhone so I can't talk to Siri or use voice on any Google feature because the stupid system intercepts my attempt to do so but because it's not an actual call it's too stupid to pass the voice data on to the service trying to use it. That means that use Google Maps I have to type in every destination because I can't use voice as OnStar won't let me. And since it won't let me stream the Google Maps audio through the audio system because I have it set up to do hands free calls, I have to turn off the sound system when using Google Maps and pump up the volume as loud as my phone will go. So I'm very skeptical indeed about any tie in with OnStar.
My car has an option for providing wi-fi. I don't want it. I want the car to have an option to use the hotspot on my phone I already pay for. Let it use my existing data account to get it's navigation information and everything else it wants internet for. They're not providing something useful for consumers, they're just creating one more data plan we need to pay for.
I hate the idea that my car is under the control of the manufacturer and is always connected/spying on me (even if I dont pay the Onstar subscription).
Has anyone ever tried ripping the onstar module out of their GM car? I'd consider buying a Chevvy but only if I knew it was possible to rip out the OnStar module without also disabling any other parts of the car.
Easiest way is to disconnect the antenna and leave the rest of the system alone.
John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
Now you can text all you want, as soon as they produce that car as a 100% self driving vehicle. I think its ridiculous how many apps try to make traveling a very distractive process. Applications like Waze are awesome, until you factor in the Pacman type game for earning points and social message sending between drivers. That level of distraction is just stupid, and the fist thing I always turn off. Now if only I could just figure out how to turn off the advertisements, but at least that only happens when you are not moving.
We are honored to welcome you to Slashdot, Mr. President!
#DeleteChrome
I can't imagine there being any data about you, or activities or driving habits they might want to be able to upload on-demand.
Long signatures suck.
In Soviet Wardriving, hotspot drives to YOU.
I have come to realize that OnStar is deliberately designed crippled service and the reason they do that is that they want you to pay them money so they can send you step by driving directions over the audio system instead of you using a free service like Google Maps.
This sounds suspiciously like Verizon's business model from about 15 years ago. If you're old enough, you might remember that Verizon refused to sell Bluetooth-enabled phones for a few years... and then, once they finally started carrying a few models, they blocked most bluetooth features "for security reasons". If, for example, you wanted to transfer images or mp3s between your phone and computer, you couldn't use Bluetooth - you had to buy a cellular plan add-on.
#DeleteChrome
Back then, they dreamed of renting you ringtones. Scumbags.
John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
I love people's paranoia. Have a cell phone? Computer? people/companies already have most of the info anyways and share/sell it.
I have a 2016 and it streams, or calls. I can also plug it in via USB and get google maps on the infotainment screen directly with the prompts coming thru the radio via android auto. Does yours support android auto? Try the USB, charges that way too.
I disconnected the onstar unit when I owned a GMC truck. Since I wasn't willing to pay for the service, I saw no need to have it connected.
I disconnected the module with a box that allowed me to use the On-Star buttons for bluetooth connection to my phone. After awhile the cruise control and other features stopped working. Dealership removed my box that allowed me to use my phone for what it should be able to do from the factory and told me On-Star was required for the cruise control to work properly.
I have since sold that car and have a Ford with a shittier infotainment system... But at least bluetooth works.
Yes it's an anecdote! Were you expecting original research in a Slashdot comment?
Of course you can't buy a GM car without OnStar. GM owns OnStar.
>> Dealership removed my box that allowed me to use my phone for what it should be able to do from the factory
Did they check with you first before they did it? If a dealership undid any changes I'd made to my car, without seeking my permission first, I'd be REALLY pissed. I mean who's car do they think it is?
I mean who's car do they think it is?
If Chevy took the route that John Deere took when they were challenged regarding the ability of individuals to repair their own equipment, the car actually belongs to them. "John Deere said that those who buy tractors are actually purchasing an "implied license for the life of the vehicle to operate the vehicle.""
file:
If that's actually true of GM vehicles, just making that news common knowledge might significantly kill their business.
Unlimited data brought by a company with LOTS of political investors. As share holders, this makes designing tech to spy on people easier. We already know how unsafe IoT is and how data is handled in the car industry. It sucks. A car without data is bad for Mr. Stingray.
Didn't that brand stop existing a few years ago?
Exactly what this is about. Unlimited data - to the auto manufacturer. They are following the current model of the person is no longer the customer, they are the product.
Nope, it was a warranty issue that the cruise wasn't working. Default tech behavior for warranty work is to return things to factory condition and see if the problem goes away.
Yes it's an anecdote! Were you expecting original research in a Slashdot comment?