HofstraJet Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 Anyone know if you can unlock the SIM in the 18 Navigator to have it added to a T-Mobile account? Would only cost me $10/month instead of $20 with AT&T. Barely worth $10 to me - definitely not $20. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slumlord Posted May 3, 2018 Share Posted May 3, 2018 Can't you just tether to your phone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted May 3, 2018 Share Posted May 3, 2018 Can't you just tether to your phone? Not for sync connect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slumlord Posted May 4, 2018 Share Posted May 4, 2018 I was told this service is currently free with new car purchase and lasts for 5 years. (for vehicle locating and remote start with app, etc) Is this not the case? Found this online too: Ford includes five years of complimentary service to SYNC Connect with a new car purchase, a nice bonus over GM OnStar and Blue Link's one year of complimentary subscription. Ford has not revealed the potential subscription costs after five years yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LHB Posted May 4, 2018 Share Posted May 4, 2018 From what I have read it seems the $20/month AT&T service just supports the WiFi hotspot so that whoever knows your hotspot name and password can connect their WiFi devices to your hotspot internet service. You can activate it fo 30 or days (or 3GB as I recall) for free then $20/mo for the unlimited data plan. I believe the SYNC connect services are for 5 yrs. Please provide any corrections, clairifications and additional information you may have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted May 4, 2018 Share Posted May 4, 2018 From what I have read it seems the $20/month AT&T service just supports the WiFi hotspot so that whoever knows your hotspot name and password can connect their WiFi devices to your hotspot internet service. You can activate it fo 30 or days (or 3GB as I recall) for free then $20/mo for the unlimited data plan. I believe the SYNC connect services are for 5 yrs. Please provide any corrections, clairifications and additional information you may have. Correct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murphy62 Posted May 4, 2018 Share Posted May 4, 2018 (edited) My 2013 Fusion Energi has a data transceiver that uses AT&T. They recently (12/16) had to install a new transceiver because AT&T shut down 2G service. In Ford's infinite wisdom they installed a 3G transceiver instead of LTE. My car was 5 years old on April 15 and there has not been a request for money and the data transceiver still works. Edited May 4, 2018 by murphy62 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HofstraJet Posted May 4, 2018 Author Share Posted May 4, 2018 Can't you just tether to your phone? Yes. Thats what I almost always do whenever someone in my car needs data and why the service is barely worth $10 for me. The only value is when traveling to places where TMO doesnt have a good signal and AT&T does. Marginal benefit, but possibly worth $10. Definitely not $20. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave_SF Posted May 9, 2018 Share Posted May 9, 2018 (edited) If you want better cost-efficiency, especially for infrequent use, one option is to use phone tethering instead of a hot-spot. Several carriers, including Verizon and Google Fi, allow tethering "for free" (it still uses your data allotment, but there is no extra fee to turn on tethering). If you have residential Comcast Xfinity, you can get service with them with no monthly line charge, and you can pay-as-you-go at $12/GB or get Unlimited for $45/month/line. They use Verizon's LTE network and their own wifi hotspots for service. They don't support any dedicated hotspot pucks, but they have Android phones, and on Android you can turn off the hotspot timeout so it stays on all the time. If you're tech savvy, you could probably plug the phone into a power source switched with the car ignition, and use Automator to turn the hotspot off when the car power was off. Here is a rough breakdown of hotspot monthly costs by carrier. Edited May 9, 2018 by Dave_SF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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