Ford Connected Services vs AT&T Trial?

[Dysan911]

So I currently have the Ford Connected $10 a month service but this morning I got an email and a text from AT&T about my Data plan below Trial about to expire. Does anyone know what this might be? Would I need both? I thought I only needed the Ford Connected Services for streaming data, etc.

I wonder if this AT&T thing is strictly for the In-car WiFi and if the Ford Connected part is just strictly for streaming youtube, games, etc.

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[Snakebitten]

You will need the AT&T account/agreement/subscription to use the AT&T network with your LTE modem in the truck/car if you want all functionality available.

The $10 Ford subscription is Ford getting in the middle of you and AT&T to scrape some revenue from a few of the features they offer that needs your AT&T bandwidth to work.

It's a little irritating if you let it be.

 

[Deleted member 19354]

Personally I do not see the value with most cellular plans offering hot spots etc I chose not to renew

 

[4sallypat]

You will need the AT&T account/agreement/subscription to use the AT&T network with your LTE modem in the truck/car if you want all functionality available.

The $10 Ford subscription is Ford getting in the middle of you and AT&T to scrape some revenue from a few of the features they offer that needs your AT&T bandwidth to work.

It's a little irritating if you let it be.

Ah that explains it so well.

I was also confused.

I went to AT&T Ford link and put in my VIN - got 3 months of 3GB.

But I also signed up for unlimited data for hotspot use.

 

[Snakebitten]

Personally I do not see the value with most cellular plans offering hot spots etc I chose not to renew

And you are not alone on that point of view.

I have a different use case however.
First, both my Powerboost and my Mach-E are offices on wheels, so that Hotspot in the vehicle is milked big time by my laptop(s).

Second, I have a SIM-less Samsung smartphone in the vehicle that leverages the AT&T Sim in the vehicle for all kinds of things, including content streaming entertainment media.

And then there's Alexa and all the fun that the grandkids have ordering her around from the back seat.

So if you do have reasons to leverage the LTE gateway that is native in the vehicle, the $10 to Ford and the ~$16 to AT&T are actually a bargain!

 

[Dysan911]

You will need the AT&T account/agreement/subscription to use the AT&T network with your LTE modem in the truck/car if you want all functionality available.

The $10 Ford subscription is Ford getting in the middle of you and AT&T to scrape some revenue from a few of the features they offer that needs your AT&T bandwidth to work.

It's a little irritating if you let it be.

Ah ok so if Im understanding correctly. if I let the AT&T side expire and deactivate.. The Ford Connected features won't have an LTE connection to function?

If so that's really lame of Ford and I'll be canceling both and just use my phone as a hotspot when I need to watch Youtube on the main screen. (If I even bother with it at all).

 

[Deleted member 19354]

And you are not alone on that point of view.

I have a different use case however.
First, both my Powerboost and my Mach-E are offices on wheels, so that Hotspot in the vehicle is milked big time by my laptop(s).

Second, I have a SIM-less Samsung smartphone in the vehicle that leverages the AT&T Sim in the vehicle for all kinds of things, including content streaming entertainment media.

And then there's Alexa and all the fun that the grandkids have ordering her around from the back seat.

So if you do have reasons to leverage the LTE gateway that is native in the vehicle, the $10 to Ford and the ~$16 to AT&T are actually a bargain!

Got it. I’m on Verizon. Can you hear me now? Have a great weekend!

 

[Snakebitten]

Ah that explains it so well.

I was also confused.

I went to AT&T Ford link and put in my VIN - got 3 months of 3GB.

But I also signed up for unlimited data for hotspot use.

I'm relieved that I didn't just confuse you.
By the way, AT&T will lower the cost from $20 to ~$16 if you just prepay $200 for the annual subscription.

Just an option.

 

[4sallypat]

And you are not alone on that point of view.

I have a different use case however.
First, both my Powerboost and my Mach-E are offices on wheels, so that Hotspot in the vehicle is milked big time by my laptop(s).

Second, I have a SIM-less Samsung smartphone in the vehicle that leverages the AT&T Sim in the vehicle for all kinds of things, including content streaming entertainment media.

And then there's Alexa and all the fun that the grandkids have ordering her around from the back seat.

So if you do have reasons to leverage the LTE gateway that is native in the vehicle, the $10 to Ford and the ~$16 to AT&T are actually a bargain!

Yes, hotspot prices are astronomical nowadays and even though I have unlimited data on my work phone, it's a pain to activate it.

Ford/ATT makes it easy as it is on all the time and automatically connects when I start a device (similar to being at my office or home).

BTW: T Mobile hotspot charges $50 for 50GB per month.

AT&T in my Mach E is $20 for unlimited data per month.

Since I also work out of my EV with a work laptop, it makes sense to me.

Plus I get to charge it back to my work.

 

[Snakebitten]

Plus I get to charge it back to my work.

Win Win!

 

[garyd9]

Ah ok so if Im understanding correctly. if I let the AT&T side expire and deactivate.. The Ford Connected features won't have an LTE connection to function?

I don't think that's accurate. I believe the Ford connected features will work regardless of the hot spot subscription.

At least that's how it worked on my Chevy Bolt: I never activated the hotspot data, but the chevy connected services still functioned.

 

[Snakebitten]

I don't think that's accurate. I believe the Ford connected features will work regardless of the hot spot subscription.

At least that's how it worked on my Chevy Bolt: I never activated the hotspot data, but the chevy connected services still functioned.

I believe that you are correct that if the vehicle owner does not choose to purchase a data plan from AT&T beyond the 3gig trial, that does not mean the onboard SIM is banned from the AT&T network altogether. Ford obviously has an agreement with AT&T to equip vehicles with AT&T vs Verizon or T-mobile or......

And in that agreement, Ford gets some kind of guarantee that vehicle telemetry with the Motorcraft Cloud is enabled. There is still a lack of clarity on behalf of the customer just what is/is not included in that guaranteed use of the LTE connectivity.

But obviously it doesn't matter much to me since I choose to subscribe to all LTE based services.

 

[garyd9]

Things that use the AT&T SIM in our Mach-E's:

1. "Connected Built-in Navigation"
(this updates maps, traffic, etc, for the built in nav)

2. "Ford Premium Connectivity"
(this lets you watch youtube vids in the car with no wifi)

3. "Alexa Built-in"
(this lets you give alexa commands from in the car?)

4. "Ford BlueCruise" (I think?)
(not sure if this is a thing... does BC require a data connection?)

5. Ford's non-premium connectivity (fordpass stuff)
(remote start, remote charging commands/status, etc)

6. OTA's
(firmware updates for the car)

7. AT&T Hotspot.
(creates a mini wifi network inside your car.)

1-4 are all trial periods and/or subscribed plans. I don't know how long #5 lasts without paying money. Perhaps for the lifetime of the car? This is the "connectivity" that allows the FordPass app to work (remote start, reporting charge level, etc.) #6 is presumably for the lifetime of the car.

#7, which is the ONLY service that you'd be paying AT&T for, is in-car hotspot. Unlike any of the other services, this doesn't seem to be active when you purchase the car. I tried enabling it on mine, but it wanted me to sign up first... which I didn't want to do.

In my car, with #7 _not_ active, everything else works. My trial for #2 will expire in a couple weeks, but everything else will still work.

 

[Dysan911]

Things that use the AT&T SIM in our Mach-E's:

1. "Connected Built-in Navigation"
(this updates maps, traffic, etc, for the built in nav)

2. "Ford Premium Connectivity"
(this lets you watch youtube vids in the car with no wifi)

3. "Alexa Built-in"
(this lets you give alexa commands from in the car?)

4. "Ford BlueCruise" (I think?)
(not sure if this is a thing... does BC require a data connection?)

5. Ford's non-premium connectivity (fordpass stuff)
(remote start, remote charging commands/status, etc)

6. OTA's
(firmware updates for the car)

7. AT&T Hotspot.
(creates a mini wifi network inside your car.)

1-4 are all trial periods and/or subscribed plans. I don't know how long #5 lasts without paying money. Perhaps for the lifetime of the car? This is the "connectivity" that allows the FordPass app to work (remote start, reporting charge level, etc.) #6 is presumably for the lifetime of the car.

#7, which is the ONLY service that you'd be paying AT&T for, is in-car hotspot. Unlike any of the other services, this doesn't seem to be active when you purchase the car. I tried enabling it on mine, but it wanted me to sign up first... which I didn't want to do.

In my car, with #7 _not_ active, everything else works. My trial for #2 will expire in a couple weeks, but everything else will still work.

Thank you!. This is also confirmed in another thread I happened to see on a similar topic as well!. Thank you for breaking it down and making it so clear!.

 

[milepost1]

Personally I do not see the value with most cellular plans offering hot spots etc I chose not to renew

Ok thanks. That comment helped me how? You don't use it so I shouldn't and feature should be removed?

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