Stuck on 2G using personal SIM on XC90 2017 US -> EU

[x119]

If you want to read thousands of pages: https://fcc.report/FCC-ID/2AGKKACUII-06H2 this gives you all the radio frequency information.

I'd honestly focus my time on finding a compatible EU VCM..

[c3drus]

Ok thanks for the latter! FCC report have everything i needed

So indeed, the US VCM is based on a cellular chipset Cinterion ALS3-US which is specialized in US frequencies and nothing else. There is another variant of that chip: ALS3-E, which is meant to support European frequencies and I suppose that the VCMs for European market are shipped with exactly that chip.

ALS3-US and ALS3-E specs also confirm there are no overlaps in terms of LTE frequencies but there is an overlap with some 2G(Edge) frequencies, so that explains why my car connects but with very slow datarate

Thanks for all the help and links guys! If anyone attemps to swap the ALS3-US chip with ALS-E successfully, please make sure to post it on the forum

[szymon2324]

In Tesla is the same chipset. I see on drive2ru site, some people change this chipset form _US version to EU.

[c3drus]

Thanks @szymon2324! This is interesting - according to the site you mentioned (https://www.drive2.ru/l/671773293220492108/), there is a documented successful attempt of swapping ALS3-US to ALS3-E in a Tesla modem. From photos of the PCB it seems as the only part which was changed is the ALS3 chip. This could indicate that both chips have same pinouts and externally are undistinguishable from each other to the system using it's functions. That means that we could have the same possibility in VCMs Unfortunately I do not have the means to test it, so we need to wait for some brave scout to try it out!

[Banis]

but does it make sense to change just for the interest in the car? because as I understand it, if cars are imported from the USA, the VOC won't work like this anyway?

[c3drus]

For example I am mostly interested in this because I want to be able to use the onboard network for e.g. hotspotting while driving. But you could probably guess that lack of VoC support for cars changing regions, might also be related to the anticipated lack of connectivity. So if we manage to get proper high-speed LTE enabled on an imported car, perhaps it also opens up for trying to get the VoC running.

[krzysztof.pyzel@o2.pl]

Na przykład interesuje mnie to głównie dlatego, że chcę móc korzystać z sieci pokładowej, np. do hotspotu podczas jazdy. Można się jednak domyślić, że brak obsługi VoC w samochodach zmieniających regiony może być również związany z przewidywanym brakiem łączności. Jeśli więc uda nam się uruchomić porządne, szybkie LTE w importowanym samochodzie, być może uda się również spróbować uruchomić VoC.

Unfortunately, Volvo EU servers do not support VINs from the US, so switching to LTE won't change anything. Regarding the on-board network, connect any USB router with an EU card and connect the car to it.

[c3drus]

Thanks but I already have USB taken by wireless carplay dongle

[szymon2324]

Na przykład interesuje mnie to głównie dlatego, że chcę móc korzystać z sieci pokładowej, np. do hotspotu podczas jazdy. Można się jednak domyślić, że brak obsługi VoC w samochodach zmieniających regiony może być również związany z przewidywanym brakiem łączności. Jeśli więc uda nam się uruchomić porządne, szybkie LTE w importowanym samochodzie, być może uda się również spróbować uruchomić VoC.

Unfortunately, Volvo EU servers do not support VINs from the US, so switching to LTE won't change anything. Regarding the on-board network, connect any USB router with an EU card and connect the car to it.

Not exactly. My Volvo app(XC40 from US) working but very slowly. I can start car remotely but I must seat in car because when senus switch off, VCM also switch off and  I don't have access to car. My voc subscription is expired. Maybe is the reason why vcm switch off, after switch off ignation.

[c3drus]

Interesting, Szymon2324! This could indicate that the VoC is not really limited centrally by Volvo's "EU servers" but simply the connectivity thing. I wonder how your VoC would behave if your car could connect through full speed LTE.