[Brendon]

Curious if anyone has had any luck saving on the car's data plan by swapping out the AT&T SIM with another carrier? I've done quite a bit of research, and first tried Tello which offers 1GB of data for $6/mo on the T-Mobile network. However, their SIM card wouldn't activate. I'd just get three little dots up in the top right, and it would eventually fail.

I then tried Ting, which also has affordable pricing on the T-Mobile network. Their SIM card also won't activate. I had one brief period where it showed 3G and downloaded traffic data, but it lasted about 10 seconds. In several hours of driving, that's the only time it's worked.

In both cases, reception is not the issue. Curious to hear if anyone has found any reliable alternatives to paying AT&T $15/mo.

 

[Ayepace]

HOWTO: I-Pace & Google Fi

The data SIM is not the most useful thing ever in the I-Pace. However, if you want it work, but you're too cheap or otherwise disinclined to pay AT&T, Google Fi is an option. I-Pace can be made to work with Google Fi by doing this stuff: request a data only SIM card from Google Fi get a...

www.i-paceforum.com

 

[bravosierra13]

I switched to T-Mobile a few months ago during a “buy 2 lines get one free” promo. We only needed 2 lines, so the extra sim has just been in a drawer. I stuck it in the I-Pace the day I brought the car home to see if it would work and it’s been flawless ever since. Happy surprise for sure! It’s not an accessory line, it’s just a regular phone line on my account. The only quirk is that the data that it uses draws from the mobile hotspot section instead of just “regular” data.

 

[DocHudson]

I was planning to install my Google Fi SIM last weekend, but got sidetracked. Hopefully I'll get a few moments to play with it this week.

 

[Ken]

I switched to T-Mobile a few months ago during a “buy 2 lines get one free” promo. We only needed 2 lines, so the extra sim has just been in a drawer. I stuck it in the I-Pace the day I brought the car home to see if it would work and it’s been flawless ever since. Happy surprise for sure! It’s not an accessory line, it’s just a regular phone line on my account. The only quirk is that the data that it uses draws from the mobile hotspot section instead of just “regular” data.

Wouldn’t that mean that it’s not pulling cellular data on its own, but rather from your phone? That might explain why it ‘works’ and others have had no luck.

 

[bravosierra13]

It means that T-Mobile is viewing the I-Pace SIM as a phone that has devices sharing its data it as a WiFi hotspot, if that makes sense. The car is connected to the internet regardless of whether my phone is even powered on, so it’s not using data through my phone. Data is unlimited on T-Mobile, except for when you share your connection with others as a hotspot, so I suppose that’s why it’s broken down in that way.

 

[Proxy]

Has anybody tried a T-mobile data only plan? I thought someone on here was paying $10 plus fees per month and it worked.

 

[Brendon]

For those interested, this turned into quite a project. I tried both Ting Mobile as well as Tello; neither of those SIMs worked after a fair amount of troubleshooting, including working with their support teams. Both networks utilize T-Mobile.

I switched to Red Pocket Mobile, which leverages the AT&T network, and it worked without a hitch. The only thing to be aware of is that you need to manually set the APN to RESELLER within Mobile Data options.
I opted for 500MB/mo at just $5, which is hard to beat. 500MB should be more than sufficient for my relatively simple needs, though I can always purchase more data as a one-off if needed. Doubtful it will come down to it though. For those interested: Red Pocket Mobile Plans Ebay

 

[Ken]

Brendon, although it may have no bearing on your intended use, I learned something from a recent experience with a service provider that uses AT&T towers. Although you can use another provider that utilizes the same AT&T towers, you may find out the service quality is not the same.

We tried Consumer Cellular as an example. They utilize either AT&T or T-Mobile's towers and they'll send a matching sim at your request. We chose AT&T since we had AT&T before and it worked reasonably well. We found the Consumer Cellular signal strength matched exactly what we experienced with AT&T. Unfortunately the similarities ended there. Using a reseller of AT&T, you may find yourself at the bottom of the waiting list for data when it comes to busy traffic times. There were times, although having almost a full set of bars, neither my wife nor I could get out. We only later learned that AT&T customers get first dibs at the towers and then others must get in line. During off hours it made no difference, but during busy times it was not fun.

This seems to be a little known fact for obvious reasons. We've since switched to Verizon, but as I said, for what you're using it for my experience may have no bearing on your experience.

 

[Qtown charger]

Brendon, although it may have no bearing on your intended use, I learned something from a recent experience with a service provider that uses AT&T towers. Although you can use another provider that utilizes the same AT&T towers, you may find out the service quality is not the same.
.....
This seems to be a little known fact for obvious reasons. We've since switched to Verizon, but as I said, for what you're using it for my experience may have no bearing on your experience.

That is exactly how I have always perceived the system to work. Otherwise why pay for a premier service if the "cheap" service works as well. My guess is the difference during peak times is much more apparent in high density areas than in the more rural areas.

 

[Brendon]

Good heads up Ken, though for my light use it shouldn't matter. I'm not doing anything data intensive, so even being severely throttled shouldn't be an issue.
Here's some reading on the topic: Why data speeds are slower on MVNO networks

That said, even using the primary carrier instead of an MVNO can subject one to throttling. Most Unlimited data plans now will segment customers based on their plan, and throttle ones that aren't paying for the premium plans.

 

[bruintoo]

I was planning to install my Google Fi SIM last weekend, but got sidetracked. Hopefully I'll get a few moments to play with it this week.

I am using Google Fi on two iPhones, and a data SIM on the iPad. I was going to get one for the Jag but never got around to it.

 

[DocHudson]

I am using Google Fi on two iPhones, and a data SIM on the iPad. I was going to get one for the Jag but never got around to it.

Last I tried, it wasn't working too good. The best I saw was 3G service with "auto" network discovery and then it stopped working totally no matter what SIM I put in when I was trying to manually set the network. I'll have to check it again and see if it is started working again. Biggest issue is that Google Fi uses a nano SIM so you need a converter to use it as a micro SIM. My converter seems like it is metal. I'm not sure that is a good idea since the metal converter touches where part of the micro SIM contact would touch.

 

[mjpsammon]

I've been using Google Fi for the past 18 months and have always connected at 4G speeds.
You need to make sure to set the APN to h2g2 in order for it to work properly.

 

[DocHudson]

I've been using Google Fi for the past 18 months and have always connected at 4G speeds.
You need to make sure to set the APN to h2g2 in order for it to work properly.

When I initially installed it, it connected automatically to the "Google Fi" network. I was not expecting that since I was aware of the h2g2 network requirement. Since I was only seeing a 3G connection, I manually changed the network to h2g2. When I did that, it "searched" continuously and never seemed to find a network. After multiple tries, my wireless connection option seemed to stop working entirely and I haven't played with it much since.

Do you have a nano SIM? If so, what kind of nano to micro converter are you using?

Thanks!

 

[mjpsammon]

@DocHudson I have the iSYFIX SIM Card Adapter Nano Micro. Bought it on Amazon.

 

[DocHudson]

@DocHudson I have the iSYFIX SIM Card Adapter Nano Micro. Bought it on Amazon.

Thanks @mjpsammon! Is the adapter metal? I'm still wondering if there is a downside to having my current metal adapter come in contact with an area the micro SIM normally has a contact. I may try your SIM adapter and see what happens.

 

[mjpsammon]

@DocHudson the adapter is not metal. It's plastic.