If Chevy Cut WiFi Costs In Half Would You Use It?

[Gorehamj]

John Goreham
Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com
7/5/2016

Well, if you answered "Yes!" now is your chance. Chevrolet just announced that it will cut its costly data plans in half. Although Chevy's press announcement puts a positive spin on the subject, about half of owners in some models are not using it - at all. The top vehicle for data usage is the Suburban with 60% usage by owners. Here is the new data plan price breakdown:

 

 

An OnStar 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot comes standard on all new Chevy models as part of its OnStar Basic Plan. The new prices are exactly half those of the prior prices.

[BobHancock]

It's about time, but before I use it all the time it will have to be less as OnStar is expensive enough. It works well, though. I recently paid $30 for 3 Gig for my summer trip from Georgia to Colorado and it was there full force all the time. But between cell phones, and WiFi at home, and Dish TV and Sirius XM on two vehicles it's getting to be a bit much. My suggestion is to make 1Gig part of basic OnStar and add for those who need more. This would keep me from canceling my OnStar which has limited value imho.

 

On a side note.....may need to start my own thread but the GPS in this truck is crap. I use a Garmin BMW Motorrad on my BMW motorcycle and it's light years ahead of the thing in my truck. Come on GM, stop fooling around.

[GMC-AT]

Why in the world would anyone need this? I hit one button on my phone and it's a mobile hotspot for all

 

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

[truckofwinandawesome]

Why in the world would anyone need this? I hit one button on my phone and it's a mobile hotspot for all

 

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

because Wireless carriers like to gouge the crap out of customers for data; for example, Verizon charges $70 for their new 8GB data plan, while OnStar only charges $40 for their new 10GB plan. you get 2 MORE GBs of data for $30 LESS! the current generation of trucks are essentially turning into V8 Powered 355HP 5,000lb Smartphones. sure you have to pay a boatload of money upfront ($30-60K versus $500 for a top of the line iPhone), but the Longevity is a damn sight better then the current crop of smartphones which are pretty much outdated e-Waste in 2 years.

[dciarnie]

I would definitely use it if those prices were available in Canada. Up here it's $10/month for 1GB or $200/year for 10GB. At those rates I might as well stay with my carrier's plan which charges me $0.02/MB for overage (basically the same as Onstar's yearly rate without the commitment).

[martha3065]

I didn't use a bit of the free trial amount. Expired after the initial 3 months with 100% remaining. I might be interested if there was an option to buy a chunk of data and use it until it was gone with no expiration. I have no interest in paying a monthly subscription fee for something I may not use.

[SILVER SLED]

I don't know a lot about wifi basics, but my house has a wifi hotspot, like a router kinda. Anyone that comes to my house can use it as long as I give them the password, no matter what cell carrier they have. I was very unpleasantly surprised when I found out the truck was not similar. I have Verizon instead of AT&T, so the Internet in my truck cost a lot more. Soo... One, why not have in the trucks a wifi hotspot that is not married to a certion company, and two, like what was said above, who would pay extra for a new wifi hotspot when so many can use there smart phone as a wifi hotspot. It seems like what was kind of a good idea turned out to be a joke upon final application. And the pice is still too much. The initail 3 free gb last about 3 hours with two kids watching videos. That's not trip worthy.

[MikeNH]

I really have no use for it. I rarely have passengers and when I do it's usually friends or coworkers who have little use for data service beyond what is already on their phone.

 

 

My bigger issue is the service provider. GM made a terrible decision to switch to AT&T. Their coverage is crap, same with Sprint. I'd never pay for data that I can only use in the city, that's stupid.

[O_J_Simpson]

GM can't compete with AT&T unlimited data plans that are offered again. Why pay more for limits?

[BobHancock]

I don't know about this coverage thing. We have Verizon and drove from Georgia to Colorado and back without a miss. I was thinking it comes through OnStar. No?

[fliptide]

I didn't use a bit of the free trial amount. Expired after the initial 3 months with 100% remaining. I might be interested if there was an option to buy a chunk of data and use it until it was gone with no expiration. I have no interest in paying a monthly subscription fee for something I may not use.

x2

[MikeNH]

I don't know about this coverage thing. We have Verizon and drove from Georgia to Colorado and back without a miss. I was thinking it comes through OnStar. No?

OnStar used Verizon up to 2013. 14+ is ATT and it's worthless.

[BobHancock]

OnStar used Verizon up to 2013. 14+ is ATT and it's worthless.

 

So my 2016 WiFi shouldn't have worked so well? I had a lap top and a Verizon tablet and 2 smart phones and they all worked great. Hmmm. ???

[MikeNH]

 

So my 2016 WiFi shouldn't have worked so well? I had a lap top and a Verizon tablet and 2 smart phones and they all worked great. Hmmm. ???

ATT is shit up here. I have little use for additional data but I sure as hell won't waste my money on a provider with weak coverage.

[darkfox1]

Hrmm.. I am on the road a lot and this would be very useful when I need to pull over and attend a roadside webex (it happens....)

 

I normally use my company's free verizon card though.

 

I have a feeling though that the truck might get better reception than that little usb dongle, but.. idk.. I dont like the idea of the data expiring. I dont know when I'll need it.