Yes that is correct. I have AT&T for my iPhone and would have to pay extra for Hotspot capability. I don't. May switch to T-Mobile this year.
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No LTE in 2014
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Yes that is correct. I have AT&T for my iPhone and would have to pay extra for Hotspot capability. I don't. May switch to T-Mobile this year.
Anyone tried putting in a SIM card on an AT&T account that is HSPA+ capable into the car? Maybe those speeds can work if your account supports it? (longshot I know)
Someone said it was a contract negotiation issue that the HSPA+ isn't enabled. Just a thought.
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Someone said it was a contract negotiation issue that the HSPA+ isn't enabled. Just a thought.
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I guess I was referring more to the account the SIM is tied to, whereas the hardware has been determined capable of HSPA+ already. Maybe the Tesla plan from AT&T is limited to 3G.
Or are we already getting HSPA+ speeds but it's labeled as 3G? Wonder if there's a non-flash speed test site...... (http://speedof.me works!)
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You have to pay the cell company to use a feature built into the phone? I really don't get the US cell market...
It's of course possible to limit speeds based on account profile/configuration, but not advantageous for the carrier or Tesla in this application. Both parties want you using the network more quickly rather than slowly. Typically, the only motivator is price, and I'm this case, Tesla doesn't charge for the service (yet). AT&T want you using their network less (faster speeds mean you're tying up fewer resources and/or making less noise for everyone else using the same spectrum in your cell).
Regardless, the above is moot. We already know the hardware they are using in the car: Sierra Wireless AR855x.
ATT Developer Program
It's HSPA+ to a maximum downlink throughput of 14.4 Mbps.
GoBlue88
Member
Must be plan based. I have AT&T and have the hotspot capability of my iPhone 5s turned on for no extra charge. Only while using it could I possibly incur data charges if I go over the monthly allotment.
It is. The newer plans that AT&T has rolled out are designed to cover multiple devices with a shared data pool, but they're also significantly more expensive than some of the historical plans that didn't offer many minutes. Given that I almost never place voice calls and I'm still grandfathered with unlimited LTE on an old plan, I'm among those that can't use the phone as a hotspot without additional fees.
gg_got_a_tesla
Model S: VIN 65513, Model 3: VIN 1913
Come 9/14, when my contract with ATT expires and hopefully, the iPhone 6 is out, am switching to T-Mobile for sure. For $80, it's unlimited data and text on 4G LTE not only within the US but, abroad as well. And, hotspot tethering is free too. Have had enough of being a slave to ATT for this long.
I know this is off topic, but just a quick comment:
I am no fan of AT&T, but I am pretty sure you will pay more for the same services at T-Mobile if you switch. PM me, if you want discuss. But if you have made up your mind to switch you can switch already - T-Mo pays your AT&T Early Termination Fee. Of course, if you're waiting for the iPhone, then it makes sense.
Can't we assume that Model X will have LTE hardware onboard and we can retrofit that into our Model S?
I think that LTE will come at some point for Model S, but not very soon. For now I simply use my iPhone 5s on Vodafone's 4G/LTE network in the Netherlands.
I think that LTE will come at some point for Model S, but not very soon. For now I simply use my iPhone 5s on Vodafone's 4G/LTE network in the Netherlands.
gg_got_a_tesla
Model S: VIN 65513, Model 3: VIN 1913
Wido, just wondering; when tethered that way, do Google Maps, the web browser and Slacker(Rdio for you?!) load content noticeably faster than with the vanilla 3G in the car?
anticitizen13.7
Not posting at TMC after 9/17/2018
Whoa, I completely missed the discussion on the wireless module that Tesla uses for the Model S. Cool that someone posted a pic of the board, module, and SIM card.
From a purely standards perspective, HSPA+ is 3G. The confusion arises because wireless carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile began labeling their networks as 4G back around the beginning of 2012, even though the 4G label isn't supposed to be used for anything slower than an LTE connection.
For some context, the Tesla Model S module, with max theoretical downlink of 14.4 Mbps, is in the same league as an iPhone 4S. The iPhone 3GS had half the theoretical max at 7.2 Mbps. I don't remember what the iPhone 3G was capable of, but on release, it was limited by AT&T's network capabilities to less than 2 Megabits/second.
I hope you are right, but do not expect it. AT&T may charge a lot more to Tesla for LTE connections, and Tesla has no good reasons to switch to LTE. A 3G line seems reasonably sufficient for the functions of the car itself. I believe just upgrading to HSPA+ (which is still 3G) is going to be more than sufficient sufficient for the functions of the car (and hence from Tesla's perspective) for the near future.
Besides, with almost every data-hungry HD-video playing smartphone these days having LTE radios, AT&T too would prefer to add less-data-hungry devices to their HSPA+ network rather than LTE.
T-mobile provides the slowest available technology internationally on these plans. If 2G is available, that's what you get. It's ok for voice but terrible for data. I tried it. You can buy speed packs, but now you might as well buy a local SIM card when you travel.
Also look hard at t-mobile's us coverage map. I know lots of people who switched only to switch back weeks to months later.
