Chevy And AT&T Announce $20 Unlimited LTE Data Plan For Cars

Cruze in vehicle OnStar 4GLTE Wi Fi
It looks as though the unlimited data wars are extending to cars and trucks thanks to a partnership between AT&T and General Motors. AT&T, which was the last major U.S. wireless company to revitalize its unlimited data plan offering, is providing a $20 a month prepaid unlimited data plan for in-car use on Chevrolet vehicles.

According to Chevrolet, its customers have been using the available OnStar 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot functionality in record numbers. Chevrolet says that its customers used 200 percent more LTE data in 2016 than they did in the previous year. “To put this data usage in perspective, Chevrolet owners and their passengers streamed the equivalent of more than 17.5 million hours of video in 2016,” states Chevrolet.

Given this voracious appetite for mobile data, it’s shouldn’t be too surprising to see why the unlimited data option is making an appearance. So, who exactly is using all of this data from within their vehicles? According to Chevrolet, Silverado users consume the most data, which is understandable given that the pickup truck is very popular with contractors that use their vehicles as mobile workstations. The Silverado is closely followed by the Suburban, Tahoe and Traverse (with the latter being a more family-oriented vehicle, where data is being used by kiddies in the rear two rows).

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Previously, Chevrolet had offered 1GB, 4GB, and 10GB of data for $10, $20 and $40 per month respectively. A separate plan that offered 20GB of data -- which could be consumed any time over the course of an entire year -- was available for $150.

“We’re pleased to deliver this special unlimited data plan to Chevy owners,” said Chris Penrose, AT&T president of IoT Solutions. “Accessing the internet through AT&T’s 4G LTE Wi-Fi, passengers now can access all of their content and enjoy endless entertainment on the go.”

OnStar 4G LTE is currently installed on over 3.1 million vehicles currently traveling on U.S. roads.

Brandon Hill

Brandon Hill

Brandon received his first PC, an IBM Aptiva 310, in 1994 and hasn’t looked back since. He cut his teeth on computer building/repair working at a mom and pop computer shop as a plucky teen in the mid 90s and went on to join AnandTech as the Senior News Editor in 1999. Brandon would later help to form DailyTech where he served as Editor-in-Chief from 2008 until 2014. Brandon is a tech geek at heart, and family members always know where to turn when they need free tech support. When he isn’t writing about the tech hardware or studying up on the latest in mobile gadgets, you’ll find him browsing forums that cater to his long-running passion: automobiles.

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