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I thought I'd write a post explaining what in-vehicle Wi-Fi is and how it works.

What is in-vehicle Wi-Fi (HotSpot)?
All X7s (with the exception of some early 2022 builds) have integrated Wi-Fi. Passengers can connect their mobile devices to it to get access to the Internet.

How does it work?
Your vehicle creates a local Wi-Fi network and connects to a mobile carrier to transmit data.

What mobile carriers are supported?

• 2019-2021 model years use AT&T 4G

• 2022 model year uses T-Mobile 5G

• 2023 and newer models can use any carrier via e-sim. More on this is here https://www.bmwusa.com/content/dam/b...sonal_eSIM.pdf. Thanks to Phasers for the link.

You will need to purchase a data plan from one of the carriers.

How much does a data plan cost?
AT&T has multiple plans:

• $10/month unlimited plan. Speeds may be reduced when network is congested. Available to existing AT&T wireless customers only.

• $20/month unlimited plan. During network congestion speeds may only be reduced after you use more than 22GB of data. Available to existing AT&T wireless customers only. Customer service can reduce the plan cost to $15/month if you call and ask them nicely.

• $25/month unlimited plan. Available to non AT&T customers. I'm not sure how it handles network congestion though.

T-Mobile: TODO

I have an unlimited cell phone plan and it comes with a hotspot. Why would I use and pay for in-vehicle Wi-Fi?

1. It is more convenient. You set it up once and forget about it, whereas a mobile hotspot has to be enabled every time you want to use it.
2. External car antenna is much more powerful and will provide better signal.
3. In-car Wi-Fi will typically handle multiple connected devices better than a cell phone.

What speeds can I expect?
AT&T 4G gives me up to 80Mbit/sec. It doesn't sound very impressive, but it's plenty for normal web browsing and video streaming from multiple devices.
T-Mobile 5G: TODO

How to sign up for an AT&T plan (2019-2021 model year)?

1. Go to your BMW online profile page and find the car's phone number in the "Vehicle Phone Number" field.
2. Go to https://myvehicle.att.com to purchase a plan

How to sign up for a T-Mobile plan?
Go to https://www.bmwna.hotspotdrive.com/#/

I'm connected to in-vehicle Wi-Fi, but there is no connection to the Internet. How to fix it?
Try restarting iDrive by pushing and holding the volume knob for approximately 30 seconds.

Can I share Internet from my phone via in-vehicle Wi-Fi?
No, iDrive doesn't support this option AFAIK.