3G data - Abandoned by Tesla?

[ChipSharpe]

I’m astounded to learn that our Model S (March 2014) will no longer provide Navigation or streaming. I’m amazed that Tesla would not offer some work-around to replace the 3G connectivity.
Is our 2016 Model S going to suffer the same fate?

 

[JimmyB]

IIRC you can have the 4G modem installed at cost, or close to. Plus I’m sure I read something about a recent software update to enable tethering while on the move. This is more than other manufacturers have done for their 3G-enabled cars, AFAIK.

 

[DukeofURL]

I’m astounded to learn that our Model S (March 2014) will no longer provide Navigation or streaming. I’m amazed that Tesla would not offer some work-around to replace the 3G connectivity.
Is our 2016 Model S going to suffer the same fate?

They've offered LTE upgrades for years, I don't know if they're still offering them. That would solve your problem.

 

[jjrandorin]

I’m amazed that Tesla would not offer some work-around to replace the 3G connectivity.

You joined to post this, but didnt actually look to see if tesla already offers something... like this retrofit on the tesla website?

3G Cellular Network Retirement | Tesla Support

AT&T has recently announced that it will discontinue its 3G cellular service by February 2022. Once AT&T’s 3G service is discontinued, Model S vehicles built before June 2015 without a 4G/LTE capable modem will not be able to enjoy some features unless connected to Wi-Fi.

www.tesla.com

 

[chronoreverse]

I mean, if you set up your very own 3G towers set up everywhere, then you would continue to have service. It's not like Tesla turned the functionality off.

 

[MorrisonHiker]

If you do the infotainment upgrade from MCU1 to MCU2, your 3G modem would be upgraded to 4G. If you don't want to spend that much, then you can do the $200 upgrade that @jjrandorin and others mentioned above.

 

[mspohr]

I’m astounded to learn that our Model S (March 2014) will no longer provide Navigation or streaming. I’m amazed that Tesla would not offer some work-around to replace the 3G connectivity.
Is our 2016 Model S going to suffer the same fate?

The phone companies are abandoning 3G data, not Tesla.
Tesla offers a 4G LTE upgrade.

 

[tm1v2]

If you do the infotainment upgrade from MCU1 to MCU2, your 3G modem would be upgraded to 4G. If you don't want to spend that much, then you can do the $200 upgrade that @jjrandorin and others mentioned above.

Yup this. We had the $200 LTE upgrade performed on our 2013 S, alongside the MCU1 recall. It is frustrating that a car launched in 2012 didn't come with LTE from the start - I always felt that was a bad move, and 3G speeds were annoyingly slow on the map. Overall though $200 for any kind of functional car upgrade isn't too bad, e.g. if LTE had been a $200 option when new it would've been an easy buy then too.

For our old car (no cameras or autopilot, no nav, etc) the $2000 MCU2 upgrade didn't seem worth it. If you have a newer car with more hardware features, MCU2 upgrade might be more worthwhile. Note with MCU2 upgrade you lose AM and FM radio, you can retain FM for an extra fee (I forget how much) but cannot retain AM. Not saying you should care these days, mentioning just in case.

 

[tm1v2]

Also for the last year or more before we did LTE upgrade + MCU recall, our car would show no cellular connection most times we started driving. To get it back online required rebooting the MCU, or waiting a looong time e.g. on a long drive. Once it came back, e.g. after rebooting the MCU, it would keep working just fine until the next time you parked and let the car get into a low-power state again.

That issue is completely gone now after MCU recall + LTE upgrade. I don't know which fixed the problem because we had both those performed together.

 

[chronoreverse]

Yup this. We had the $200 LTE upgrade performed on our 2013 S, alongside the MCU1 recall. It is frustrating that a car launched in 2012 didn't come with LTE from the start - I always felt that was a bad move, and 3G speeds were annoyingly slow on the map. Overall though $200 for any kind of functional car upgrade isn't too bad, e.g. if LTE had been a $200 option when new it would've been an easy buy then too.

Keep in mind that LTE was quite new at the time. AT&T only launched it in 2011, T-Mobile in 2013 so coverage was very spotty (think 5G today). Considering the lead-time for design, having built-in 3G connectivity was high-tech for that time.

From what I can tell, the first car with LTE connectivity was sold in 2015 by Audi (also the same year Tesla introduced LTE).

 

[jjrandorin]

The phone companies are abandoning 3G data, not Tesla.
Tesla offers a 4G LTE upgrade.

(NOT MODERATION CONTENT, personal opinion post, representing only jjrandorin the regular poster)

Perhaps I am being a bit of a cynic here, but this does not seem like a "real post" from the OP in this thread. Why do I say that?

1. OP joined TMC today, and this is the first post, so that means that they joined specifically to make this post.
2. OP used controversial thread title guaranteed to get clicked "Abandoned by Tesla?" (A mod for this subforum added "3G data to make it less clickbaity)
3. OP used words like "I am astounded to learn....." "I am amazed that tesla....."
4. The actual complaint that they posted about, I found with a google search of "Tesla 3G retrofit" and it being the first or second link on the google search window, with information Directly from Tesla about a solution to the OPs problem. I dont have a model S vehicle and found this in about 10 seconds.

We are supposed to believe that the OP could find the TMC website, and join and make this post, yet could not find "3G Tesla retrofit" with an internet search, even though it was the first or second result on the page. There isnt any reason for the OP to be "astounded" or "amazed" at a $200 cost for this upgrade, and they ask "why doesnt tesla have a solution" when there is already clearly a solution.

 

[rxlawdude]

Thinking ahead, LTE is also on the endangered species list. So Tesla will need to update the hardware module to 5G.

Thinking about now, I see my Teslas dropping from LTE to 3G frequently in Orange County, CA metro areas. If 3G goes, those will be dead zones.

 

[mspohr]

Thinking ahead, LTE is also on the endangered species list. So Tesla will need to update the hardware module to 5G.

Thinking about now, I see downgrading from LTE to 3G happens frequently in Orange County, CA metro areas. If 3G goes, those will be dead zones.

It will be a while.
Most 5G today is actually run on LTE bands.

 

[rxlawdude]

It will be a while.
Most 5G today is actually run on LTE bands.

True, but LTE will be phased out within a few years. In 2015 when the LTE module was introduced, 3G was in the endangered status at the time. Six years goes fast!

The reason 3G is being turned off is that it has been hogging the bands that 5G will replace. Similarly, LTE, in spite of being on the same band, is subject to deprecation when carriers want to fully transition to LTE.

3G phone users are being warned, and in some cases, carriers are replacing phones (worth every penny) for free.

 

[rxlawdude]

Just a bump on the thread... ATT shutting 3G down on 2/22/22.

Bigger question is what happens to LTE-enabled Teslas in areas where signals fall back to 3G? It seems if no LTE, those areas will have no service in Teslas. I still see 3G fallback in metro Orange County, CA even today. This is not in the backwoods.

Tesla should design and equip current vehicles with 5G capability and LTE fallback, and make thus an upgrade for extant vehicles.

 

[mspohr]

Just a bump on the thread... ATT shutting 3G down on 2/22/22.

Bigger question is what happens to LTE-enabled Teslas in areas where signals fall back to 3G? It seems if no LTE, those areas will have no service in Teslas. I still see 3G fallback in metro Orange County, CA even today. This is not in the backwoods.

Tesla should design and equip current vehicles with 5G capability and LTE fallback, and make thus an upgrade for extant vehicles.

If areas don't have LTE, they certainly won't have 5G.

 

[rxlawdude]

If areas don't have LTE, they certainly won't have 5G.

Agreed, but the point is areas without 5G and LTE only, Teslas' connectivity will fail. 5G technology is up-and-coming. And I'm in a metropolitan area where LTE falls back to 3G frequently. Those fallbacks can interrupt streaming media and result in "navigation without traffic information."

And, where there's no LTE and/or 5G, when there's no 3G, are you saying these areas will just have 2G? Or will there be a miraculous upgrade of every tower to at least LTE? I'm pretty sure the Tesla radios don't fall back to 2G, given its relatively slow data rate.

 

[mspohr]

Agreed, but the point is areas without 5G and LTE only, Teslas' connectivity will fail. 5G technology is up-and-coming. And I'm in a metropolitan area where LTE falls back to 3G frequently. Those fallbacks can interrupt streaming media and result in "navigation without traffic information."

And, where there's no LTE and/or 5G, when there's no 3G, are you saying these areas will just have 2G? Or will there be a miraculous upgrade of every tower to at least LTE? I'm pretty sure the Tesla radios don't fall back to 2G, given its relatively slow data rate.

I don't know what Tesla could do. If telecoms don't provide 3G, LTE, or 5G; you're SOL

 

[tc521]

Agreed, but the point is areas without 5G and LTE only, Teslas' connectivity will fail. 5G technology is up-and-coming. And I'm in a metropolitan area where LTE falls back to 3G frequently. Those fallbacks can interrupt streaming media and result in "navigation without traffic information."

And, where there's no LTE and/or 5G, when there's no 3G, are you saying these areas will just have 2G? Or will there be a miraculous upgrade of every tower to at least LTE? I'm pretty sure the Tesla radios don't fall back to 2G, given its relatively slow data rate.

I would just use the hotspot on my phone if LTE is overloaded in your area.

I don't personally see LTE being obsoleted anytime soon. LTE speeds are ≠10 times faster than 3G and once the old 3G towers are updated that will help bandwidth for the frequency. Our vehicles don't really need speeds greater than 35Mbps, they just need more bandwidth in congested areas. One other thing to consider, with each passing year more cell phones will operate on 5G which should take a lot of load off LTE.

 

[Wol747]

What about the 5G interference with aircraft rad alts? Depending in how THAT turns out it might compromise 5G rollouts anyway.