[Ovmsdev] AT&T to Terminate 2G on Dec 31, 2016

Wed Jun 18 20:28:18 HKT 2014

In quantity (and we buy a lot of quantity, plus can sometimes piggy-back off other bigger orders), the prices are not so bad. The difference probably won’t pay for the extra carrier board. The factory’s main concern is the connector may come loose in the high-vibration environment of a car.

Also, note that the SIM5218 is better spec (faster, more frequency coverage):

SIM5218

SIM5218A: Tri-Band UMTS/HSPA850/1900/2100 MHz
SIM5218E :Tri-Band UMTS/HSPA 900/1900/2100MHz
SIM5218C: Single-Band UMTS 2100MHz
SIM5218J: Tri-Band UMTS/HSPA800/1900/2100 MHz
SIM5218A/E/C/J: Quad-Band GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900

HSDPA  - Max. 7.2Mbps (DL),
 - UE Category: 4, 6, 8, 12
HSUPA  - Max.5.76Mbps(UL)
HSUPA+HSDPA
Max. 2.0Mbps (UL) +3.6Mbps (DL)

SIM5320

SIM5320A
 - Dual-Band UMTS/HSDPA 850/1900MHz
 - Quad-Band GSM/GPRS/EDGE  850/900/1800/1900MHz
SIM5320E
 - Dual-Band UMTS/HSDPA 900/2100MHz
 - Quad-Band GSM/GPRS/EDGE  850/900/1800/1900MHz

 HSDPA
Max. 3.6Mbps(DL)

USB modems are a possibility (if Linux based), but features like low-power mode are not so well supported.

Regards, Mark.

On 18 Jun, 2014, at 6:23 pm, Mastro Gippo <gipmad at gmail.com> wrote:

> Mark, what is the price for the modules? On aliexpress I can find the SIM5218 for anywhere from 45$ to 84$, and the SIM5320 from 30$ to 45$. If that's the price difference, it may be worth it to make our own plug in breakout board to handle various SIM5320.... And even sell them alone as an hobbyst product maybe.
> What about having a separate GPS solution? The Ublox NEO-6M is super precise and works very well, I use it on my multirotors, and doesn't cost a lot. This could also open up the possibility to use a lot of different modems too. If we are really moving into a linux-based device, this could bring support to any modems that linux supports. And allows us to use MTK chips too, that usually don't come with a GPS or have a really crappy one.
> 
> Regards
> MG
> 
> 
> 2014-06-18 2:47 GMT+02:00 Mark Webb-Johnson <mark at webb-johnson.net>:
> 
> But, what am I gonna do with my original iPhone !!!!
> 
> They 'leaked' this a couple of years ago: http://blog.gsmarena.com/att-will-discontinue-its-2g-service-in-2017-you-probably-wont-notice/
> 
> Not much of an issue for the smartphone/phone market, but a huge issue for M2M users. Alarm companies, Internet-of-Everything companies, and others like us. That 2G spectrum is valuable, and I can understand that from AT&Ts point of view they'll drop the 1% to handle the 99% (even if the 1% is millions of subscribers). Short-term, others will be happy to take up those subscribers, but long-term 2G spectrum will die and be reused.
> 
> From an OVMS point of view, we have been looking at 2 replacement options:
> SIM5218
> SIM5320
> 
> Our factory prefers the SIM5320 because it is exactly the same form factor as our current SIM908. The issue is that the SIM908 is a quad-band device, that has frequencies covering pretty much all the world. When we move to 3G, there are so many frequencies that one device can't cover them all (4G is even worse). With a soldered-on device, we're going to have to produce OVMS for North America, OVMS for Europe, OVMS for Asia, etc. A pain in the neck. So, we're also looking at a plug-in form factor (such as the SIM5218 - even though it is slightly more expensive). The SIM5218 is also tri-band, vs dual-band for SIM5320, so we can get away with fewer options. The plug-in form factor would also give us the option of having a standard base board (with CAN, power, connectors, etc), but the modem being optional. The only negative I see is that the GPS comes with the modem, so an optional modem means an optional GPS - not so good for a lot of the cars we support. That said, the most expensive part of the modem is the cellular plan, and that wouldn't have to be purchased if we are just using the GPS. I would love it if these guys would stick to one plugin form factor (so we could just swap-out the modem for 2G->3G->4G->nG).
> 
> Regards, Mark.
> 
> On 18 Jun, 2014, at 12:00 am, Tom Saxton <tom at idleloop.com> wrote:
> 
>> According to Nissan:
>> 
>> "AT&T has announced that on December 31, 2016, AT&T will terminate 2G
>> network availability."
>> 
>> https://www.nissanusa.com/electric-cars/leaf/features/disclaimers.html
>> 
>> This will kill Carwings on the Leaf, as well as current OVMS hardware
>> running on AT&T.
>> 
>> Perhaps T-Mobile will keep running 2G in the US? In my experience,
>> T-Mobile's coverage isn't as good as AT&T's.
>> 
>>   Tom
>> 
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> OvmsDev mailing list
>> OvmsDev at lists.teslaclub.hk
>> http://lists.teslaclub.hk/mailman/listinfo/ovmsdev
> 
> 
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