Systems like GM’s OnStar in older cars use the 3G network.
Software updates are available but not for all vehicles.
If your car or SUV was built in 2016 or before, you may find that some features will no longer work in the near future. For example, the car’s built-in safety system that contacts first responders after a collision will no longer function. More importantly perhaps, getting location or traffic alert updates for built-in GPS systems will simply stop receiving data.
This will occur once the 3G Network, which launched in 2002, is completely phased out over the coming weeks and months. Software updates are available but won’t be for everyone.
“A fair number of people are going to be surprised,” said Sam Abuelsamid, principal analyst with Guidehouse Insights, a market research firm focused on emerging technologies. “But if they’re currently a paying subscriber to a connectivity service, they most certainly have been notified at this point.”
Some owners have been offered parts to upgrade their vehicles to run on 4G while other automakers have said nothing, according to CNN. If you own an older vehicle with connected services and have not been contacted by the car company, now would be the time to call your dealership or the automaker to find out what can be done.
