Yesterday, AT&T shut down an old cellular network that few phones still use. The end of AT&T’s 3G service probably affected few cell phone users. But it turned off features in millions of cars. If your navigation system or remote starter suddenly stopped working today, contact a local dealer. The company that builds your car may have a solution for you.
Cell phones and other high-tech products communicate using parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. That spectrum has a limited number of frequencies. There is no way to add more.
Cell phone development happens in generations. Every few years, as technology advances, manufacturers design phones that use a new part of the spectrum. Most cell phone users today have fourth-generation (4G) or fifth-generation (5G) phones, leaving few users connected to the old networks that ran the third generation (3G). With that portion of the spectrum almost unused now, cell phone companies are starting to shut down the networks of cell towers that carry its signals.
Almost unused. What’s still on it?
A small number of still-operational 3G phones and millions of cars.
After all, Americans replace our phones a lot more often than we replace our cars. You’re probably not reading this on a 2014 phone. But 2014 cars are a common sight in traffic.
More Shutdowns Later This Year
AT&T shut down its 3G network yesterday. Several other companies still operate 3G networks but plan to shut them down later this year. T-Mobile will turn off Sprint’s 3G network in March and its own in July. Verizon will be the last to shut down, turning off its 3G system in December.
What is Shutting Down?
The 3G network shutdown won’t stop your car from working. Affected cars should still be drivable and do almost everything they used to do.
But any feature that requires a car to communicate with a server outside the car could be affected by the shutdown. That includes navigation systems, emergency response systems like GM’s OnStar, remote start functions, traffic updates, and some teen driver restrictions may stop working.
Which Cars are Affected?
Some automakers exclusively use AT&T’s network for some features. Others build some cars that use AT&T systems and others that use other networks.
We’ve confirmed that some cars built by Acura, Audi, BMW, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Porsche, Tesla, and Volkswagen were impacted yesterday. The Drive maintains a running list of makes and models impacted by the shutdown.
What Can You Do?
If you started your car this morning only to get an error message from the navigation system, you might have options.
Each automaker is responding differently to the shutdown.
Because it involves remotely connected features, some have already fixed the problem remotely. GM, for instance, says that many of its cars automatically downloaded an update that moved their communications to a part of the spectrum that isn’t being closed anytime soon.
However, some cars built before 2015 may require a hardware swap before the lost features can be recovered. GM has launched a 3G shutdown website with more details.
Subaru runs its own shutdown-related website and says dealers will need to install a physical upgrade to enable its STARLINK system to continue working normally. The update is free, but owners must sign up for it online.
Honda has also launched a remote update to correct the problem for free.
Tesla will upgrade affected cars with a new modem but charges $200 for the fix. Volvo says it can also install an upgrade for a fee but hasn’t named its price publicly and says, “Due to supplier constraints and shortages, we can offer limited upgrade quantities for most affected models.”
Volkswagen says it is working on a solution and seems to be leaving the cost of the upgrade up to dealerships, asking owners to “confirm parts and labor costs with your local Volkswagen dealer before scheduling your repair.”
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February 23, 2022 at 11:58PM
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AT&T Just Shut Down Its 3G Network; Your Car May Have Lost Some Features - Kelley Blue Book
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