MY21 eSIM, Internet and Skoda-connect remote access

[SAL_III]

Finally got my Karoq Edition last weekend and se far very pleased with every aspect of it (will get some pics in when I get some time)

 

The only aspect I can't yet figure out and the Dealership isn't very clued up in is how the new eSIM ties up to car internet connectivity, most importantly Skoda-connect remote access.

 

My understanding is that MY21 no longer has a SIM slot for you to be able to pick a provider and you are stuck with the built-in eSIM and fixed non-UK mobile network provider. Is that correct?

 

The dealership is not really aware how it works - for them it's black magic and apparently should be free. Which i'm very skeptical about it, seeing how there is option to top-up in the infotainment system.

 

Further confusion stems from the fact that when I disabled the eSIM Apple Carplay disconnected my phone.

 

I'm mostly interested in using the Skoda-connect remote access when the car alarm is activated, as the car is parked 5min away from home in a secure car park.

 

 

So the question is how does it all work and will I have to top-up to use Remote connect or is it included in the 10 year plan of the eSIM or in the 1 year plan for the Skoda-connect remote access?

[skoda_disconnect]

I live in Sweden, so the way everything works might be different for you, but I have Karoq MY 2021 and before that Octavia MY 2018 and I never had to install any sim cards or do anything to make Skoda connect work. In other words the car was already using a sim card installed from the factory and all I had to do is pay 500 SEK (~40 GBP) annually (after the first year) as a subscription fee to use the Skoda connect app and I had remote access to its data / status. With the Karoq I can lock / unlock it remotely which helps my anxiety  

[SAL_III]

Ah seems like the Skoda connect sub is at least partially going towards the data fees for the built-in SIM. And I assume the data packs you can buy from the e-store are if you want to use the car as hot spot for devices and use data outside of the Skoda connect functionality.

 

That makes sense.

[CJJE]

The e-SIM is built in and gives you access to the Skoda Connect services - as long as you have a mobile signal. 

 

The Remote Access service is free for the first year in MY21 cars, then costs 39€ to 60€ to renew annually. This is needed if you want to use the Skoda Connect app, although some of its functions are also available for free using the Connect Lite app and a dataplug instead. 

 

The Infotainment Online service is also free for the first year for MY21 cars, then costs 49€ to 70€ to renew annually. This is needed to have access to online voice control, traffic information, petrol prices, parking spaces and online map updates. (Skoda UK think we may be able to update the maps manually via the USB-C port later this year, but we can't at present. It should also let us import POIs and destinations/routes but not yet.

 

The Emergency Call feature will be available for the life of the car, and the Breakdown Call and Information Call for the first 10 years. 

 

The additional dataplans via Cubic seem to be required if you want to buy services from the 'shop', such as news feeds or weather feeds, if you want to provide a WiFi hotspot in your car for your passengers to access the internet, or if you want to listen to WebRadio. (However I have found that connecting the car to your own mobile phone and its dataplan rather than the built-in e-SIM will get the WebRadio to work.) 

 

It took me several months to realise why the advertised WebRadio wasn't working, and I have not seen any warnings in Skoda brochures or manuals that you needed to pay for an extra dataplan to make it work!

 

Chris

 

 

[SAL_III]

All clear now, I thought we need to sort out the car data connectivity through our own SIM card seeing how the older Karoq had a SIM card and reading post about people using various SIM cards.

 

How do you share the internet from your phone dataplan for web radio etc. is it enough to link it with CarPlay or do you have to activate the phone hot spot and connect the car WiFi to it?

[YassenSuPerb]

On 01/04/2021 at 20:03, CJJE said:

The e-SIM is built in and gives you access to the Skoda Connect services - as long as you have a mobile signal. 

 

The Remote Access service is free for the first year in MY21 cars, then costs 39€ to 60€ to renew annually. This is needed if you want to use the Skoda Connect app, although some of its functions are also available for free using the Connect Lite app and a dataplug instead. 

 

The Infotainment Online service is also free for the first year for MY21 cars, then costs 49€ to 70€ to renew annually. This is needed to have access to online voice control, traffic information, petrol prices, parking spaces and online map updates. (Skoda UK think we may be able to update the maps manually via the USB-C port later this year, but we can't at present. It should also let us import POIs and destinations/routes but not yet.

 

The Emergency Call feature will be available for the life of the car, and the Breakdown Call and Information Call for the first 10 years. 

 

The additional dataplans via Cubic seem to be required if you want to buy services from the 'shop', such as news feeds or weather feeds, if you want to provide a WiFi hotspot in your car for your passengers to access the internet, or if you want to listen to WebRadio. (However I have found that connecting the car to your own mobile phone and its dataplan rather than the built-in e-SIM will get the WebRadio to work.) 

 

It took me several months to realise why the advertised WebRadio wasn't working, and I have not seen any warnings in Skoda brochures or manuals that you needed to pay for an extra dataplan to make it work!

 

Chris

 

 

How do you conect the car to the dataplan of iphone? It doesn't seem carplay do it? Can you explain please?

[CJJE]

On 01/04/2021 at 18:11, SAL_III said:

All clear now, I thought we need to sort out the car data connectivity through our own SIM card seeing how the older Karoq had a SIM card and reading post about people using various SIM cards.

 

How do you share the internet from your phone dataplan for web radio etc. is it enough to link it with CarPlay or do you have to activate the phone hot spot and connect the car WiFi to it?

When I tried it to get web radio working, all I did was set my phone up as a hotspot, and then link the car to use that data connection rather than the inbuilt e-sim. I haven't got the details available just now, but think it was via the main settings menu.

[olderman1]

Quote

Skoda UK think we may be able to update the maps manually via the USB-C port later this year

Only just come across this thread after jumping through hoops trying to get map updates for my new Kamiq (and my wifes Golf 8).

After trying the old download the maps from the Portal method (as I did in my previous Kodiaq) and getting complete misinformation from websites and dealerships, I finally find out the map downloads are available via the embedded e sim as detailed here.

So having made this facility possible, why would Skoda revert to the old download method and where did that info come from ?

[CJJE]

Because the auto downloads via the internet only update roads in your immediate locality, with a recent suggestion that if you're driving 60+ miles from your home it will look for any updates centred on your new position. And this also requires you to subscribe to Skoda Connect every year! So being able to download a complete update via the USB-C socket for years to come would be a lot cheaper if you don't need the other Skoda Connect services.

 

Before covid, I used to holiday in Europe each summer, and to take an example, when I drove through the Netherlands and Germany to holiday in Austria, I used to download the most recent European maps for the whole journey. Using the auto update via the Internet would presumably mean that the planned route would be getting updates time and time again. (I've asked if planning the entire rout in the car before I left would trigger a complete update of the map data along the route, but Skoda UK customer support couldn't provide with a confident yes or no.)

 

As to where the info came from, there's a long thread on the Karoq forum (presumably where you found your quote?) which covers updating maps in MY21 (MIB3) systems, and I seem to remember the info on updating via USB-C came from Skoda UK Technical Support.

 

Chris

[olderman1]

3 hours ago, CJJE said:

Because the auto downloads via the internet only update roads in your immediate locality, with a recent suggestion that if you're driving 60+ miles from your home it will look for any updates centred on your new position. And this also requires you to subscribe to Skoda Connect every year! So being able to download a complete update via the USB-C socket for years to come would be a lot cheaper if you don't need the other Skoda Connect services.

 

Before covid, I used to holiday in Europe each summer, and to take an example, when I drove through the Netherlands and Germany to holiday in Austria, I used to download the most recent European maps for the whole journey. Using the auto update via the Internet would presumably mean that the planned route would be getting updates time and time again. (I've asked if planning the entire rout in the car before I left would trigger a complete update of the map data along the route, but Skoda UK customer support couldn't provide with a confident yes or no.)

 

As to where the info came from, there's a long thread on the Karoq forum (presumably where you found your quote?) which covers updating maps in MY21 (MIB3) systems, and I seem to remember the info on updating via USB-C came from Skoda UK Technical Support.

 

Chris

 

Thanks Chris, I've found and read the thread you refer to and my brain is now mush, but I wish I'd been aware of it before I started my own search for the correct way to update maps.

Whilst I hate the way Skoda are doing things regarding maps, I thought I had it sorted in my own head how updates now work, but now I'm not so sure. 

I reactivated my Skoda Connect from my old Kodiaq and registered myself as the primary user of my infotainment system and understood that if I wait until November (one of the twice yearly updates for maps) then my car would receive map updates automatically, unless of course Skoda let us return to doing it ourselves from the Portal - my preferred method.

My question now is; although I'm registered with Skoda Connect, do I have to take myself and the car to my dealer so they can see my license etc to verify who I am before I can receive the updates, or is just being registered enough ???

 

[CJJE]

2 hours ago, olderman1 said:

 

Thanks Chris, I've found and read the thread you refer to and my brain is now mush, but I wish I'd been aware of it before I started my own search for the correct way to update maps.

Whilst I hate the way Skoda are doing things regarding maps, I thought I had it sorted in my own head how updates now work, but now I'm not so sure. 

I reactivated my Skoda Connect from my old Kodiaq and registered myself as the primary user of my infotainment system and understood that if I wait until November (one of the twice yearly updates for maps) then my car would receive map updates automatically, unless of course Skoda let us return to doing it ourselves from the Portal - my preferred method.

My question now is; although I'm registered with Skoda Connect, do I have to take myself and the car to my dealer so they can see my license etc to verify who I am before I can receive the updates, or is just being registered enough ???

 

No you should be able to register for Skoda Connect without a dealer visit - I think! 

 

As far as I am aware, you only need to get your identity validated at the dealer's to activate the extra features in the Skoda Connect app like locking and unlocking the car remotely (via the app rather than the KESSY key.)

 

Chris

[olderman1]

Yes, both of your statements are correct, but I wondered if it might be prudent to visit the dealer to get the extra features activated just in case that's needed for map updates. Seeing as how Skoda (VAG) are cocking this up completely, I'm going to get mine activated just in case !! I thought I'd done this when I first got the Connect in 2018, but the facility must have lapsed after the first free year.

 

From a query about map updates on another forum;

 

Oldman - The owners manual of MY21 Kodiaq's, says:

Automatic update

Infotainment automatically updates when the following conditions are met.

The “Infotainment Online” online services are activated.

An update of the navigation database for the current vehicle position or route destination is available.

This map updating question is certain't doing the rounds at present. I'm glad I kept my old Garmin .