Gaining connectivity for cellular and internet services in today's vehicles.
Gaining connectivity for cellular and internet services in today's vehicles.
Hey there, I bought a 2018 Chevy Cruze around six months ago. It came with a trial of GM Connect, which also provided access to their Wi-Fi hotspot internet. From what I learned, the ISP was AT&T, and the connection quality was quite unreliable—sometimes spotty at best. I ended up disconnecting my phone from the car and using Freedom Mobile’s LTE service instead, which is also not very stable. So, I didn’t feel comfortable with GM’s internet offerings.
This made me wonder how challenging it would be to get internet service for a vehicle from another provider. It seems like most manufacturers try to restrict access to one preferred ISP. But with recent changes in Canada regarding smartphone unlocking, I think you’d have the same legal freedom to choose your connection provider on your car. I’m curious to hear what others think—maybe there’s already a discussion going on!
They also utilize AT&T in Canada, which seems intriguing. The concern lies in the type of cellular radio the vehicle employs. It's possible they only incorporated the required frequencies for AT&T connectivity.
It was unexpected that AT&T was the provider. Another odd point is that even after turning off Wi-Fi in settings, a signal still appears from the car. I’ll need to speak with the dealer next time I visit for service, though I’m skeptical they can help. Right now it’s just a small annoyance—just hop in the morning and forget to switch Wi-Fi off on my phone, and it connects but without data. I’m planning to dig deeper into this since I want to combine my ISPs, a cellular provider, and get a vehicle data plan. Currently I use Freedom Mobile and Telus for Home.
GM likely secured an exclusive agreement with AT&T. The company would be able to roam in Canada, probably through Telus or Bell infrastructure. @CarlTime notes that legally you can't force a car manufacturer to unlock your cellular system. The CRTC's Wireless Code specifically covers smartphones, making it difficult to claim a car qualifies. This situation appears to have been ongoing for several years: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/can-yo...esides-att I recommend contacting the dealer for any recent developments since 2015.