Re: Way OT: Why have OnStar?

Posted by RayP(MI) on June 21, 2005 at 13:37:41 from (64.25.199.4):

In Reply to: Way OT: Why have OnStar? posted by Rauville on June 21, 2005 at 08:59:08:

Since my wife bought a used car (2001) which has Onstar, I did a little research. First of all, the communication thru Onstar is not to a satellite, but thru cell phone circuits. (Verison is the company of choice, and if you're out of Verison coverage, it MAY revert to other company's coverage.) If you're in a bad place for cell coverage, your Onstar won't be worth much either. What is nasty about the cell phone in OUR Onstar is that the durn thing is analog, and the cell companies are busting their _____ to go to digital and enhanced digital service. Federal Govt has given cell companies until 2008 to phase out analog, and I have been told that GM has no intention of updating existing analog units in people's vehicles. The only satellite connections have to do with the satellite locating system, used by the military, hunters, hikers, surveyors and others who use the satellite location only. Since this is cell phone based, I'm pretty sure they're not tracking your every move, etc. Only when you call them are you connected. Advantage is that there are operators on duty 24/7, so your'e never alone as long as your phone works, and they can at that time access your vehicle, and read codes, reset locks, etc. If the airbags go off, the system is automatically connected to an Onstar operator. They have two tiers of service, and you have your choice of which you want/need. Where we're located, Verison isn't a significant player in the cell industry, has very spotty coverage. Since we have another cell carrier, and ham radios in all our cars, we've opted not to subscribe. Others need to consider their own needs.

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