VW Starts Car-Net Carrier of Choice with Verizon and T-Mobile

Click to Enlarge.

Volkswagen of America will be offering through wireless providers Verizon and T-Mobile a so-called Carrier of Choice in late September. Volkswagen appears to be the first automaker working with both Verizon and T-Mobile to offer customers the choice from multiple wireless providers to enable Car-Net’s in-vehicle Wi-Fi hotspot.

In the fast-growing world of connected cars there remain large questions about anti-trust regulations and their application – if any has been attempted – to protect consumers from cartel or monopoly pricing. Car-Net, with in-car Wi-Fi capability when you subscribe to a data plan, is standard equipment on most 2020 model year and forward Volkswagen vehicles. The Carrier of Choice program will be available starting late September this year. 

Car-Net Hotspot allows passengers to access the internet with up to four connected devices simultaneously, including compatible tablets, smartphones, laptops, gaming devices at a claimed 4G LTE-enabled speed. Verizon Wireless or T-Mobile customers with an existing mobile data plan can add their Volkswagen vehicle as a new line item to their existing monthly bill; non-Verizon or T-Mobile customers can set up an unlimited plan for $20/month, plus any applicable taxes and fees.

Starting with model year 2021, some VW vehicles equipped with MIB3 offer more infotainment features. With an active data plan, drivers can access iHeart Radio and TIDAL media streaming apps with a paid subscription. Additional subscriptions from Car-Net offer more: The Plus Nav subscription for $49/year gives drivers real-time traffic and route updates. The Plus Online Radio subscription for $8/year provides over 30,000 global radio stations. The Plus Speech subscription for $9/year allows drivers to use natural language for safe and convenient control of phone, media and navigation features, as available.

VW owners and passengers no longer need to use up their mobile phone data for in-vehicle entertainment—they can currently purchase unlimited data through Verizon or T-Mobile for their car via Car-Net Hotspot. Adding a car to an existing Verizon or T-Mobile account is simple. Customers can visit carnet.vw.com or download the Car-Net mobile app to select their mobile wireless provider, verify their account and pair it with their existing Volkswagen Car-Net subscription in a matter of minutes.

“Carrier of Choice breaks down the barriers for connecting to Wi-Fi and meets customers where they are in their digital lifestyles,” claimed Frank Weith, Director of Connected Services at Volkswagen of America. “As consumers start driving more in a post-pandemic world, it creates a window of opportunity for drivers to customize their content and stream reliably.”