No Traffic Updates

[Mike58]

I have a TomTom Go Premium, ZR6239102307.
It has suddenly stopped receiving Traffic updates - Why is this?
Many Thanks - Mike

 

[canderson]

All European 2G services are being disconnected a bit at a time.
For those with TomTom's using cellular connections, I recommend switching to using your phone as a WiFi hot spot to get traffic.

 

[Mike58]

I don't understand - I wasn't asking about European 2G services - I was asking why my live Traffic updates suddenly don't work?

 

[canderson]

Perhaps I've mistaken your GO Premium for one of those that had 2G cellular connection. That was an option on a couple of the Premium versions. In fact, the Premium was built on the last TomTom platform to support a cellular data connection for traffic.

 

[Willy875]

I don't understand - I wasn't asking about European 2G services - I was asking why my live Traffic updates suddenly don't work?

There could be several reasons why you are no longer receiving live traffic updates.

1/ Your SIM card has been deactivated by TomTom.

2/ Your GPS device is not connected to your TomTom account.

3/ You have not agreed to share information with TomTom.

You can contact TomTom and ask if your SIM card has been deactivated.

 

[John Usher]

I have a TomTom Go Premium, ZR6239102307.
It has suddenly stopped receiving Traffic updates - Why is this?
Many Thanks - Mike

Mike58 - Has it totally stopped, or is it actually intermittent?

In my UK area - North London/Hertfordshire - on my Go Premium X (ZT Series, with so-called 'Lifetime' Traffic) Traffic Services over 2G/GPRS is a lottery. One day (or even part of a day) it's there, the next it isn't. All the soft, hard or factory resets of the device won't restore Traffic - until it decides, unpredictably, of it's own volition to connect!

Why? Who knows? GPRS isn't supposed to cease in the UK until around 2030 - whether what Traffic data TomTom is putting out and how across GPRS is not compatible with the system or the device is unknown.

TomTom support have admitted to me that, at least on my Series of device, with my new 5g Android phone, Bluetooth, even if correctly paired with my phone (it is), will *not* deliver Traffic. It is a 'Known Problem' - software or hardware? Not stated, with no stated fix date, if ever.

As to using Wi-Fi Hotspot from a phone, it seems to work, but that is throwing up some issues I am currently trying to work through.

One major one is that, unlike GPRS, which is generally universally available, I expect to find that, in areas with poor 4G or 5g coverage (which is not uncommon in the UK - even around London - the 'Not Spots'), Traffic may again disappear. I shall see.

New mobile not-spots map of the UK - FarrPoint

We hope that this map will be a useful tool for organisations planning their services that rely on mobile connectivity.

www.farrpoint.com

Another issue is that, at least on my phone, I have to remember to turn off general Wi-Fi to get the Hotspot to work, which has other consequences which I'm testing. It's certainly not 'Turn On the Device and Go' like GPRS.

By all means reach out to TomTom support as suggested above - if you can get a response - to ensure your personal connection details are correct, but generically, we are, IMO, 'Flogging the Proverbial Dead Horse'.

 

[canderson]

Why? Who knows? GPRS isn't supposed to cease in the UK until around 2030 - whether what Traffic data TomTom is putting out and how across GPRS is not compatible with the system or the device is unknown.

Your global statement doesn't take in to account that have been many 2G providers, and they each have their own shutdown schedules. TomTom doesn't use every 2G provider in the UK, so it really becomes a question of which one is in use, and the schedule for that provider, which may very well be long before the absolute 2033 end point.

O2, for example, began tearing down their 2G service piece by piece starting in 2025. They were going to make exceptions only for emergency services in remote areas that had no 4G coverage. It would be interesting to have hold of a couple of your UK devices to see what network operator they're using.

EE starts shutting down in May 2029.
Vodaphone UK (not Three) will cease 2G service in 2030.
Three didn't have 2G service.

Only if TomTom was using one of the other 2 providers could one even hope that service would remain available for a few more years.

 

[canderson]

Another issue is that, at least on my phone, I have to remember to turn off general Wi-Fi to get the Hotspot to work, which has other consequences which I'm testing. It's certainly not 'Turn On the Device and Go' like GPRS.

Unclear what you mean by "general Wi-Fi". One thing for certain. It's about 99% sure that if your phone is using a WiFi connection to the outside world, it will not be allowed to share that WiFi connection with another device. All phones I've seen require a cellular connection in order to share that with another device using a WiFi hot spot. So if your phone is WiFi connected in or around your house, you'd definitely need to shut that off to couple up your TomTom to it and receive data.

As for 'automating' the process, I'll just advise what I and many others have done who haven't had a cellular option for some years now.

Android and iOS at various versions have had either native or 3rd party app ability to play 'If This Then That' games. I have my phone always looking for the Bluetooth in my car, and if/when it sees that, this acts as a trigger, and I have the phone automatically turn on the WiFi hot spot to provide service to my two TomTom units. I never have to remember to get out my phone and turn the hot spot on.

 

[John Usher]

Your global statement doesn't take in to account that have been many 2G providers, and they each have their own shutdown schedules. TomTom doesn't use every 2G provider in the UK, so it really becomes a question of which one is in use, and the schedule for that provider, which may very well be long before the absolute 2033 end point.

O2, for example, began tearing down their 2G service piece by piece starting in 2025. They were going to make exceptions only for emergency services in remote areas that had no 4G coverage. It would be interesting to have hold of a couple of your UK devices to see what network operator they're using.

EE starts shutting down in May 2029.
Vodaphone UK (not Three) will cease 2G service in 2030.
Three didn't have 2G service.

Only if TomTom was using one of the other 2 providers could one even hope that service would remain available for a few more years.

Thank you for your measured response, which is far, far more informative than anything I've ever managed to drag out of the less than helpful TomTom Support.

I know 'Three' never had a 2G service. I didn't know about O2's 2025 'Teardown'. That still leaves Vodaphone and EE - until at least 2029.

As I understood it, TomTom uses *only* Vodaphone in the UK (I am happy to be corrected), so GPRS *should* work - *within* the limits of the 2G service and the data supplied by TomTom.

If you can say whether any information on the device interface (e.g. SIM ID, IMIE, other) - can Indirectly identify that, that would be useful. Otherwise it is not explicit (as far as I can see) from the device.

By 'Intermittent' GPRS Traffic Services, I meant in the same general area on the same day (e.g. outside my house!), not moving across different areas.

Thanks

 

[canderson]

Having not owned a 6200 or similar, I can't say whether it is possible to view the APN information on the diag or other screens. I could do so with my old TomTom Bridge devices when we still had 2G here, but those are fairly exceptional units in several respects.