# Upcoming feature: Tesla wifi hotspot



## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

Twitter's (and reddit's) greentheonly regularly digs through software updates and finds various features that are either partially implemented, or sometimes fully implemented but not yet activated.
I found the following while perusing this reddit thread:



















This makes a lot of sense, as long as Tesla's agreement with AT&T supports greater bandwidth usage at reasonable costs, so that Tesla can offer this service at a reasonable price.

I personally have a mobile phone plan that includes tethering, so it probably wouldn't be worth it for me. But for people who are still on plans that don't permit tethering, it could be a worthwhile option depending on the price, how often they're in the car, and how many passengers they have that could use the feature (children )


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## NOGA$4ME (Sep 30, 2016)

My use case for this feature is an annual trip we take to my in-laws. Our phones (T-mobile) don't work there at all (occasionally we will pick up a tower in Canada, but only if we stand in a very specific spot inside the house). But there is an AT&T tower with a great signal (frustrating that the two don't get along better). We would buy the On-Star data package in my wife's Volt for the month while we visited, but after getting the Tesla and now using that car to visit, my wife is not impressed that Tesla doesn't have a wifi hotspot. Keep in mind my in-laws do not have internet, so we are completely cut off for the week that we are there. I suppose we should just enjoy being cut off from the world, but my wife really needs her internet fix!

Hopefully this feature can be turned on and off as needed. And it doesn't even matter if it's ridiculously expensive. I think we paid something like $20 for the month which only gave us 4GB or something like that, but that was fine. We save far more than that in gas for the trip!


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## SoFlaModel3 (Apr 15, 2017)

That would be great for me to have my kids setup with the iPad on road trips. Here's to hoping its part of "premium connectivity"!


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## GDN (Oct 30, 2017)

Would love it if the model covered it in Premium, but I figure this will be an add on. They need a way to re-coup all of those free connections they gave away the first many years. I think those of us paying $10 is very reasonable for the car connectivity per month (compare other makes and models and you'll see $10 isn't too bad) so if this is an add on, hopefully it will be at a reasonable charge and hope to add it and remove it at will in one month increments.


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## SoFlaModel3 (Apr 15, 2017)

GDN said:


> Would love it if the model covered it in Premium, but I figure this will be an add on. They need a way to re-coup all of those free connections they gave away the first many years. I think those of us paying $10 is very reasonable for the car connectivity per month (compare other makes and models and you'll see $10 isn't too bad) so if this is an add on, hopefully it will be at a reasonable charge and hope to add it and remove it at will in one month increments.


You're probably right, so wishful thinking on my part. This is a feature I would use for a few days across 2 road trips a year. Hard to place a value on it (for me).


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## StromTrooperM3 (Mar 27, 2019)

Maybe then we could see true OTA software updates?

It used to say this.. But since been changed on their page

"Premium Connectivity adds satellite-view maps with live traffic visualization, in-car streaming music & media, an internet browser (for Model S and Model X), *and over-the-air software updates via Wi-Fi and cellular.*"


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## CleanEV (May 17, 2018)

Any word on this update? Can’t seem to find any mentioned of this feature in number of new updates rolled out since April?


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

CleanEV said:


> Any word on this update?


Nope.

Don't hold your breath for this one. There might be code in the car to support this, but Tesla's also going to have to create the infrastructure that tracks people who've signed up for the feature, request payment, communicate with the various vehicles to turn the feature on/off as people add/delete the features, etc.


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## adam m (Feb 1, 2019)

This is for when all Teslas come with StarLink connectivity.


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## Madmolecule (Oct 8, 2018)

This is an old topic but I do have some new wishes. Hotspots in cars I think are pretty dated. I rarely use mine in the Audi I had. What I do think would be nice if similar to the dual displays on the new model S, Tesla offered an advanced app that was similar to a thin client were you could run the entertainment and other applications as a thin client on an iPad or phone. This way they don’t have to reinvent the display all kids have an iPad or similar thin client device

The main feature request I was posting about was Bluetooth connections to speakers. I Do not have a boom box compatible 3. It would be great in camp mode to connect Bluetooth speakers from the car. I don’t know what the sound quality is from the boom box but they make so many great Bluetooth speakers and this way you could have your picnic a few more feet away from your car.

that would be premium connectivity


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## GDN (Oct 30, 2017)

Madmolecule said:


> This is an old topic but I do have some new wishes. Hotspots in cars I think are pretty dated. I rarely use mine in the Audi I had. What I do think would be nice if similar to the dual displays on the new model S, Tesla offered an advanced app that was similar to a thin client were you could run the entertainment and other applications as a thin client on an iPad or phone. This way they don't have to reinvent the display all kids have an iPad or similar thin client device
> 
> The main feature request I was posting about was Bluetooth connections to speakers. I Do not have a boom box compatible 3. It would be great in camp mode to connect Bluetooth speakers from the car. I don't know what the sound quality is from the boom box but they make so many great Bluetooth speakers and this way you could have your picnic a few more feet away from your car.
> 
> that would be premium connectivity


This came up on a local FB group, but I just don't want or need anyone else in my car controlling more than they can today. I am that old man, Don't touch my screen. Anyone that has the app today can already control entertainment, they don't even have to be with you in the car, just logged in to your account.

I don't want or need any more integration. I think I'm in a shrinking minority for that wish, but it's a car. It's my transportation. I get Waze or maybe an advance navigation option and audio, but not much more.


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