RDS-TMC ceased in UK June 2026
Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2026 9:41 pm
I asked a question in the X6 part of the Forum about whether anyone was noticing issues with the Traffic Message Cgannrl service on their cars?
It turns out the neither of the UK’s RDS-TMC as it is known are providing the service any longer.
Trafficmaster were one provider, mainly used by VAG, and ceased provision in 2023. The other was INRIX (via Classic FM) and used by BMW, and they shut down their service in 1st June 2026 after 25 years of operation.
This means that our cars will no longer receive traffic alerts and dynamic navigation routing no longer operates.
The UK service is now only available via apps such as Google or Waze. There is no work around for the receivers in the pre RTTI era. RTTI works on a different platform and across DAB but needs correctly equipped vehicles (arrived in mid 2011 as a paid factory option) with the relevant licensing.
I now use a Garmin Nuvi unit that gets traffic data via my phone.
My i4 has RTTI as part of the ConnectedDrive subscription (payable annually).
Separately of course those cars from the early 2000s onwards to the 20 teens only have 3G telematics modems on board and that is also defunct in the UK so no longer works. ECall should still work as that drops to 2G for making emergency calls only.
It turns out the neither of the UK’s RDS-TMC as it is known are providing the service any longer.
Trafficmaster were one provider, mainly used by VAG, and ceased provision in 2023. The other was INRIX (via Classic FM) and used by BMW, and they shut down their service in 1st June 2026 after 25 years of operation.
This means that our cars will no longer receive traffic alerts and dynamic navigation routing no longer operates.
The UK service is now only available via apps such as Google or Waze. There is no work around for the receivers in the pre RTTI era. RTTI works on a different platform and across DAB but needs correctly equipped vehicles (arrived in mid 2011 as a paid factory option) with the relevant licensing.
I now use a Garmin Nuvi unit that gets traffic data via my phone.
My i4 has RTTI as part of the ConnectedDrive subscription (payable annually).
Separately of course those cars from the early 2000s onwards to the 20 teens only have 3G telematics modems on board and that is also defunct in the UK so no longer works. ECall should still work as that drops to 2G for making emergency calls only.