IN car phone carrier

This?

Toyota Connected Car Support Overview | Verizon Wireless

 

Change the SIM card? Assuming the system is not under a carrier lock. About which I have no information.

 

Knowing how Toyota deals with customer configurable options for most features, I highly doubt it can be changed. No I don't have Toyota Safety Connect on my vehicle and I have no interest in having one no matter who is a carrier.

 

The data charge for the Toyota Verizon WiFi hotspot is VERY high. And does the hotspot even have a SIM card?

The similar Toyota WiFi hotspot for Europe does for sure have a SIM card slot and Toyota advertises that any provider's SIM card can be used in it.

Why don't you just use a cell phone as a WiFi hotspot in your vehicles? It is possible to configure a cell phone to automatically enable its hotspot when a Bluetooth connection between a cell phone and a vehicle in-dash system is detected and to disable its hotspot when the Bluetooth connection ends. I use the free Android app "iBolt Dock'n Drive" to do it. There is also an iOS version of Dock'n Drive.

 

Boost sells mobile hotspots. Boost Mobile Unveils 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot Devices and Data Plans

"$49.99 for a mobile hotspot device and $25 per month for a 1.5GB data plan. A 10GB mobile hotspot data plan is also available for $50 a month."

1.5GB is "nothing" - I can blow through that in an hour. 10GB for $50 seems rather high and that's not much for lasting an entire month - especially with multiple users. I'm paying $75/month for 32GB on my AT&T phone and that includes "rollover" of unused data to the next month. One of my friends caught a promotion with AT&T and has a far better deal than I have.

I should mention that the rate I'm paying to AT&T includes a 25% corporate discount. If the company I retired from didn't have a corporate discount deal with AT&T, I could get the same 25% discount one of several other ways, e.g. ex-military. Cell phone discounts sometimes seem like only a ploy to attract customers. I wouldn't be surprised if they have a discount for people with blue eyes!

There may soon be more hotspot options from Toyota. I don't know if Toyota is ditching Verizon but the 2020 Highlander is going to have an AT&T hotspot: World Premiere of All-New 2020 Highlander at New York International Auto Show | Toyota