Poor data connection?

[RAHTOL]

Whenever I park my FFE in the second level (i.e. two levels down) of the underground garage at my office building - that is where I can charge the car - , MFM cannot locate the car anymore and therefore I am unable to check the charge level or change Go Times. 

 

My understanding is that Ford uses the AT&T network for their data connections.  My cell phone (voice and data) on the other hand, also on the AT&T network, works well.  Could it be that the data connection in the FFE is much weaker than on a cell phone?

 

Does anybody else experience this behaviour or has any thoughts on this?

 

Thanks

[larryh]

The car uses a 2G connection.  Your cell phone uses a 4G connection.  The coverage area for 2G vs. 4G connections varies.  Check the following web site:

 

http://www.att.com/maps/wireless-coverage.html#fbid=ZwZ1UVn9kzp

[RAHTOL]

Thanks for the link.

 

I was not aware of the fact that the FFE only uses a 2G connection.  That might explains the long wait for updating MFM when the car is in my driveway.

 

I'm in Stamford , CT with full 2G and 4G coverage.  Outside the office garage MFM can locate the car again.

My only conclusion now would be that 2G is not only slower but also has a much weaker signal or the charging spot in the garage is in a coverage hole for 2G but not 4G - I'm not an expert on this subject.  

 

Would it have been so much more expensive for Ford to utilize 4G as well, like in cell phones?

[wazer]

It can't be 2G anymore. AT&T stopped certifying 2G M2M devices and they also stopped activating ones that were already certified.

 

http://cd2migration.att.com/pdf/2G_Sunset_FAQs_2014_A1.pdf

 

http://www.m2mpremier.com/uploadFiles/Aeris_1113_whitepaper.pdf

 

The early Focus Electric's may have been 2G, but I would hope that the majority of the Energi's are 3G.

 

Would love to have someone from Ford IVT Team chime in here.

[larryh]

Read this sales brochure for the 2014 Energi.   It explicitly states:  MyFord Mobile requires a compatible 2G independent cellular network.

 

http://www.ford.com/services/assets/Brochure?make=Ford&model=Fusion&year=2014

[wazer]

I see. That's disappointing. I wonder if anything changed for 2015.

[Russael]

This is interesting and kind of irritating to know that I may have to purchase an upgrade module for the car to continue using MyFordMobile.  2G devices appear to be incompatible with a 3G spectrum (but 3G and 4G work together).  According to those papers, our cars will cease to communicate in 2017 with the potential for that to happen sooner.

 

Funny... maybe that's why we only got 5 years of free service.  :)

[murphy]

Hmmm.  Purchased car April 15, 2013.  5 years of free MFM service goes to April 15, 2018.  2G service terminated by January 1, 2017.  Take car to dealer to get it repaired under warranty.  I have a 7 year warranty with no possibility of exceeding the mileage number in the warranty.

 

I also have a Motorols RAZR v3 on a T-Mobile pre-pay plan.  T-Mobile has stated they will maintain 2G until 2019.  MFM could get a few more years by switching to T-Mobile when AT&T drops support.

[Russael]

Hmmm.  Purchased car April 15, 2013.  5 years of free MFM service goes to April 15, 2018.  2G service terminated by January 1, 2017.  Take car to dealer to get it repaired under warranty.  I have a 7 year warranty with no possibility of exceeding the mileage number in the warranty.

 

I also have a Motorols RAZR v3 on a T-Mobile pre-pay plan.  T-Mobile has stated they will maintain 2G until 2019.  MFM could get a few more years by switching to T-Mobile when AT&T drops support.

 

Are you sure T-Mobile said that?  I read an article yesterday that said they planned on upgrading all of their 2G service to LTE by next year.

 

http://www.engadget.com/2014/03/13/tmobile-lte-expansion/

 

I had a Moto RAZR on ATT up until 3 months ago.  I switched to Sprint and picked up a Nexus 5.  It's a sweet phone, but LTE/3G service here in the house is 56K speeds.  Range boosters are crazy expensive at 400 bucks or so.  Waiting for Sprint to support WiFi calling for my phone.  They already do for some LG models and most Samsung ones.

 

I too have a 7 year warranty with no chance of hitting the mileage... but I wonder if Ford would consider that warranty work if the device still works but isn't supported.  If it was defective and died on its own then sure, but they could try to weasel out of replacing the module since the carrier discontinued support and not because the module went defective.

[murphy]

From your link:

 

"For anyone concerned, this expansion doesn't mean that EDGE will go away entirely (not yet, anyway), because there are still plenty of devices that rely on 2G technology."

 

EDGE is 2G.