I thought this was an interesting move, but one that I doubt I'll personally be taking advantage of. For those afraid of external links, Jaguar is teaming with AT&T to offer unlimited LTE service in select models for $20/month.

Edited to note that I blew the thread title - shouldn't be WiFi, but LTE service instead. My bad...

 

Very interesting, trying to pick up the tech minded folks.

By the way, you had it right on both counts, it is WiFi in the car so your title is solid, the car connects to the network via LTE and all the devices in and around the car will connect via WiFi to use the service.

 

I bought a new chev truck and got the total infotainment package as a 90 day trial. After 2 months I have not used wifi or onstar or any of their offers. It does have the android auto app which I use once in a while.

 

I can't really see the advantage of having wifi/LTE in the car ... yet.... Everyone has a cell phone. If you have a wifi only tablet, then maybe wifi in the car is more convenient but you can hot spot it to your phone with a little effort. Even then, do we really need that tablet if you have the cell phone?

But what do I know. I still kick start my motorcycle

 

Don't worry, your generation is not the target here...I agree that I would not do this either. I see this stuff and know it is a marketing gimmick but a hot item in the younger generation, stupid and useless or not.

When I am in the car with my nephews they have small WIFI only tablets for gaming. I have unlimited corporate data on my phone with Hotspot capability, so I turn that on when I am with them at a non-Wifi restaurant or in the car so that they can get online. For a parent who doesn't have what I have, access to advanced services for free, this could be a good add-on.

A $20 per month unlimited data plan is actually quite good and could be of use to a family that has multiple kids and purchasing a 4 door sedan or SUV. It is not for an adult who's phone or tablet already has LTE plan.

 

C'mon Mark, who's side are you on!

kidding... I agree with you 100%. And it's a perk that a high end car should have anyways.

 

In an unrelated note, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is reporting a significant increase in Jaguar related traffic fatalities....

 

Haha, I am too young to be crochety about it but too old to want it.

For us non-Wifi enabled cars there are now aftermarket options that connect via the ODBII port. Check out the Vinli which is opensource, allows you to monitor car computer stats plus has Wifi/LTE. Supposedly Samsung is coming out with something similar. Audiovox and and Mobley already have it available from AT&T. Verizon has one by Zubie.

Funny, the reviews on Amazon where people have used it for tracking the car, Amazon Echo or Dot in the car, checking status of gas. Immediate information and the overload of data, is it that hard to track the gas by when you start the car?

 

Some of those after-market options could be handy to have on long-distance road trips. I've got personal hot-spot capabilities with my iPhone, but candidly having a separate data account may make more sense on a deal like that as we have yet to switch to Verizon's "unlimited...er, capped at 22 GB of high-speed LTE plan. I love a good gadget!

 

In the U.K. There has been recently the doubling of the penalties for using mobiles,IPads etc whilst driving. Fines as well as licence points. The police have also had a major crackdown on This as well. It's been illegal in the UK to use these devices for a few years but a lot of drivers took no notice. It's also illegal to use if you have pulled over and parked on the roadside if the keys are still in the ignition or the engine is running.

With modern cars using screens for all options to program as well as such options as mentioned in this thread and SAT Nav , how does this equate with the authorities try to dissuade us from using them.

What's happening in the US and other countries

 

The US has the same crackdown going, it is a state by state mandate though.

However, what you are saying is nice but not relevant at all to in-car Wifi. The purpose of Wifi is to supply internet connectivity to all the passengers; kids, friends, etc. The biggest target would be those with kids who have tablets or devices that have either zero or limited data options and need to rely on hotspots. I have seen it with my nephews, they have devices that connect at home via Wifi but are not connected to a cell network.

 

Yep, my earlier reply was intended as a joke and I agree on the intent. My granddaughter has her iPod and iPad, both wifi only, no data plan.

 

I took yours as a joke, it was funny!

 

I take ALL apple products as a joke.

 

OK, falls into the random comment from left field category, but I will bite...agreed, I am a part of the Apple-haters-anonymous group.

 

In Nebraska, it's a secondary offense, meaning that police can observe "distracted driving" (i.e. texting), but cannot stop the driver for that offense alone. We are one of four states that doesn't treat this idiotic behavior as a primary reason to stop, slap the driver silly, and issue a ticket. I'll likely need a horn replacement on my vehicles as I'm one to give a honk and see if I can get my fellow motorists to look up from their screens long enough to note my displeasure with their behavior. Yes, I'm a little "loco".

 

The problem with all of this is that just grabbing the phone and doing anything at all looks like texting. You can't tell if they are selecting Pandora to hit play, trying to dial a number, or typing a message. It is very hard to enforce, half the time you are honking and chastising they may have just been dialing a number. Cars are full of distractions now, phone, touch screen, hell you have to do a bunch to just change stations now.

The reality is these laws are not meant for the constabulary to stop and enforce but for a way to assign liability in the case of an accident. They can use your phone as evidence, if you were texting and get in a wreck they can throw the book at you with a specific texting law.