Verizon Telematics launches connected-car technology and subscription service

Two-year subscription plans begin at $15 per month and include equipment for one vehicle, with Verizon stating additional vehicles can be added to an account at a discounted price.

Verizon first announced the service in January at the North American global Auto Show, initially calling it Verizon Vehicle. As Re/code notes, Verizon had intended to launch the solution by June, so it’s coming to the market after a bit of a delay. Verizon say that this amounts to 150 million vehicles.

The solution has hardware components and works through a smartphone application. A companion app also lets users track vehicle records and also helps drivers remember where they parked and track the time on their parking meters. While you don’t need to be a Verizon phone or Internet service customer to use hum, you have to sign a 2-year contract for hum’s subscription service to get updates about your vehicle through its app and for roadside assistance, as well as receive the hardware for free (valued at $120).

Through GPS-based technology, Hum helps dispatch advanced roadside assistance, alerts emergency personnel of a car’s location if a crash is detected, and assists police in locating a vehicle that has been reported stolen. “This service equips drivers on the road today with the same level of information about their vehicles that fitness wearables deliver about our health”. You just have to plug the hum device into your car’s OBD-II port (a connector that is required in all cars and light trucks built in America from 1996 onwards), clip the Bluetooth-enabled speaker/console to the driver’s visor, and you should be ready to roll. Among other features and functions, the new gadget offers fix notifications, vehicle tracking features, as well as Bluetooth-to-smartphone connectivity.