US Jaguar Land Rover Customers Can Now Get Unlimited Mobile Data Plans
Earlier this year, Jaguar Land Rover announced plans for an unlimited mobile data plan for American customers, costing $20 per month. To use the plan, drivers must own a Jaguar or Land Rover that is equipped with 'InControl Wifi,' which is Jaguar Land Rover's mobile Internet technology for vehicles. This major announcement by the luxury automaker quickly followed an announcement from General Motors earlier in the month about plans for a similar data package.
Availability & Pricing
Jaguar Land Rover's plan, which is offered by American telecommunications company AT&T, provides access to a wireless network that covers close to the entire United States. It offers a stable data connection and has the ability to connect up to eight devices at one time. This prepaid data plan is highly affordable at just $20 per month, a cost that will decrease once more vehicles are using the technology.
Permanent Features
Vehicles that currently have InControl Wifi are the Jaguar XE, XF, XJ and F-Pace and the Land Rover Discovery, Discovery Sport, Range Rover, Range Rover Evoque, and Range Rover Sport. Jaguar Land Rover seems committed to making this feature a permanent one in new vehicles so it can compete with General Motors for a share of the United States' car market.
How It Works
Jaguar Land Rover's mobile data technology uses an antenna that has been “optimally placed” in the vehicle. The antenna houses a password-protected, prepaid, mobile data hotspot, similar to a public Wifi hotspot. The unlimited data will connect to any entertainment devices already installed in the vehicle, such as the television screen/GPS system.
Increase In Usage
Chevrolet, made by General Motors, was the first to announce an unlimited data plan in their vehicles in March 2017. This was due to the higher rate of WiFi and data use in vehicles, which surged in 2016. Specifically, figures from Chevrolet claim that Wifi use was as high during the second half of 2016 as it was for the entire eighteen months preceding it.
Key Driver
David Larsen, the North American product planning manager for Jaguar Land Rover, proclaimed that “Wireless connectivity and connected car services continue to be a key driver for new vehicle purchases . . . [and the price of the data plan] will provide Jaguar Land Rover customers with an enhanced ownership experience.”
Highly Beneficial Technology
Expect this technology to become popular in all new vehicles in the near future. Not only can it benefit the driver of the vehicle, but it also allows car manufacturers to wirelessly send reports of problems or issues that can lead to improvements. The growing demand for connectivity will soon make it a standard feature for almost every vehicle. Jaguar Land Rover even invested $15 million early in 2017 in a company called CloudCar, which is exploring ways to improve the technology. CloudCar will be a brand to watch for developments in automotive technology that is powered by unlimited data.