Vodaphone (I’m in the U.K.), but yes, that would be inline with the reaction I got
Completely agree. Wonder what would happen if more people knew the type and amount of personal data Ford was collecting and selling.Cars built for the European market use Vodafone. I will have the modem, and it will certainly work. It will come with a free two-year Vodafone subscription, which will work all over Europe.
But thanks to Tom's exquisite work, I now know how to get rid of it.
I don't mind sharing some personal data if I get something worthwhile in return. But FordPass Connect gives me nothing. Oil life and fuel level on my phone, plus the ability to unlock the doors remotely (why on Earth would I ever need to do that?). That's rubbish.
The remote start would be useful, but I won't have it because of the manual gearbox. Besides, I'm not sure I'd want it implemented like that. If I could easily start the engine over the internet, then so could somebody else (we've already had proof that FordPass is not secure).
And even if it were useful, I would still not want it because I resent the obtrusive way in which Ford forces us to share personal data with them whether we like it or not, without the ability to turn it off, as if they were somehow entitled to it and it were up to them to decide. That's downright despicable. I can choose to share personal data with them, but they have absolutely no right to take it for granted.
Yes, where Vodafone is not available it operates through other carriers. All EU mobile telephony operators are mandated by law to have roaming agreements with operators from EU countries where they aren't active themselves, and to offer their subscribers roaming services throughout the EU at no extra cost. So if Ford Romania has a contract with Vodafone Romania for the eSIM in the car, that eSIM must be able to work in any other EU country at no extra cost for Ford or the end user. It's Vodafone's job to arrange that.
Yes, I think we all celebrated a couple of years ago when the European cell companies finally dropped their outrageous roaming charges--though still not completely gone. The example of going from Romania to another country is clear. However, if someone buys a Ford in Denmark, where there are no Vodafone stores, the process is less clear.
There are some catches. First, they are mandated to offer roaming services at no extra cost to subscribers. Pre-paid mobile plans are not included. And indeed, my wife is on a pre-paid plan, and she has to activate and pay for a temporary roaming option when she leaves the country.
That was my main point.
Aside from data limits, the biggest catch is oneway calling when roaming. It's free to call back to your home (or stationed) country, but costs if you make a call to the country you are physically in while roaming. Took decades to implement and there are still plenty of goofy catches. Almost as bad as insurance companies...
Yeah, but what if you went to Arizona and connected to a different carrier there, because your home carrier from Wyoming wasn't available in Arizona? I bet there would be an extra charge then.
Oh yes, you can say that again. You used to be charged even for incoming calls! And forgetting to turn off mobile data when crossing the border could have spelled bankruptcy...
Just know I am lucking in two regards:Under these circumstances, the fact that we are able to use our phones throughout the union at no extra cost (provided, as mentioned, that we use them exactly as we do at home) is no small feat.
Oh yes, you can say that again. You used to be charged even for incoming calls! And forgetting to turn off mobile data when crossing the border could have spelled bankruptcy...
Its funny how when I started this thread how people were making aluminum hat jokes and hinted of paranoia. Hardly anyone knew anything about the data collection. Well, now they do. The linked article pertains to how data is used and shared with insurance companies. What the article does not discuss is how Ford is using the data. You may be able to opt out of insurance related data sharing, but unless you disable the modem, the data stream is still broadcasting back to mother Ford.