Tesla has been sending out in-car notifications to owners that unless they update their vehicle’s software to at least 2022.4 by today, they could lose access to future over-the-air (OTA) updates and other features.
The ominous message, which is being sent to both Canadian and US vehicles, says the update is required to “maintain compatibility with AT&T cellular network changes taking place on February 22, 2022.”
If you don’t, some of the features that may no longer work include maps and navigation features, accessing the mobile app, voice commands, and more.
The changes AT&T is making today is shutting down their 3G network.
This has been something that has been in the works for quite a while, and something we first reported back in July 2016 when Tesla began notifying owners about the need for a retrofit.
Owners of older Model S vehicles built before June 2015 can buy a $245 CAD or $200 USD retrofit to maintain connectivity to the newer 4G and LTE signals.
Since the message is being sent to more than just those Model S owners, the 2022.4 or newer updates likely prevents cars from trying to connect to the now decommissioned 3G signals.
Interestingly, we have received reports of Canadian owners receiving this message, even though Telus, AT&T’s data partner north of the border, is not shutting down their 3G service until 2025.