4G Dashcam Data Usage Calculator

It depends on settings: Continuous 1080p streaming (1 channel, 8 hrs/day, 30 days) uses ~140 GB/month. Event-based 1080p upload uses ~20 GB/month. WiFi-only upload (parked at depot) uses 0 GB 4G data. Motion detection 720p uses ~10 GB/month. Use our calculator above for your exact configuration.

Top factors: (1) Upload frequency - continuous streaming uses 6-7x more than event-based. (2) Video resolution - 4K uses 4x more than 1080p, which uses 4x more than 720p. (3) Number of channels - 4-channel MDVR uses 4x more than single camera. (4) Compression - H.265 uses 50% less data than H.264. (5) Operating hours - 24/7 recording uses 3x more than 8 hrs/day.

Event-based recording only uploads video when triggered by: harsh braking, accidents (G-sensor), speeding alerts, geofence violations, driver behavior events. This typically results in 10-15% of total recording time being uploaded, dramatically reducing 4G data usage compared to continuous streaming. Most fleet dashcams use event-based upload to balance data costs with incident coverage.

For a 4-channel MDVR (front, rear, left, right): Event-based 1080p upload @ 8 hrs/day = ~80 GB/month. Continuous 1080p streaming @ 8 hrs/day = ~560 GB/month. Event-based 720p upload = ~40 GB/month. Lower rear camera resolution (720p) while keeping front at 1080p reduces usage by 25-30%.

H.265 (HEVC) uses approximately 50% less data than H.264 at the same quality level, making it ideal for 4G dashcams. However: (1) Requires newer hardware with H.265 encoding support. (2) Slightly more CPU-intensive. (3) May have compatibility issues with older playback systems. For fleet dashcams with 4G upload, H.265 is highly recommended to cut data costs in half.

Per vehicle/month recommendations: Single-channel event-based (1080p): 20-30 GB. Dual-channel event-based (1080p): 35-50 GB. 4-channel MDVR event-based (1080p): 70-100 GB. Single-channel continuous streaming (1080p, 8 hrs): 140-180 GB. Always add 20% buffer. For fleets of 10+ vehicles, use pooled/shared data plans for flexibility and cost savings.

Yes! Smart upload strategy: (1) Upload critical events immediately via 4G (accidents, alarms). (2) Upload routine events via WiFi when vehicle returns to depot overnight. (3) Use 4G for live view requests only. (4) Schedule bulk uploads during off-peak WiFi hours. This hybrid approach can reduce 4G data usage by 60-80% while maintaining real-time incident coverage.

Yes. Continuous 1080p streaming uses ~17-20 GB per 8-hour shift per camera. A single-channel dashcam operating 8 hrs/day for 30 days uses ~140 GB/month. A 4-channel MDVR uses ~560 GB/month. This is why most fleet operators use event-based recording with continuous local SD card storage, only streaming/uploading when events occur or when live view is requested.

When 4G data is exhausted: (1) Live streaming stops working. (2) Event video uploads queue locally on SD card. (3) GPS tracking may continue (uses minimal data). (4) When data is restored or vehicle connects to WiFi, queued videos upload automatically. (5) Some carriers throttle speed instead of cutting off. Critical: Ensure data alerts are enabled to avoid missing important incident uploads.

Live view (real-time monitoring) typically uses: 720p live stream: 1-1.5 GB per hour. 1080p live stream: 2-3 GB per hour. 4-channel MDVR live view: 8-12 GB per hour. Because live view is typically used sparingly (checking on incidents, random audits), it usually accounts for less than 5% of monthly data usage. Most data comes from automatic event uploads.

True unlimited plans for dashcams/MDVR are rare. Most IoT/M2M carriers offer: Pooled plans (shared GB across fleet) - best for 10+ vehicles. Per-device plans with overage charges. Tiered plans (10 GB, 50 GB, 100 GB, 200 GB per device). For event-based recording, 20-50 GB per vehicle is usually sufficient. For continuous streaming, 150-200 GB per vehicle is typical. Contact M2M-specialized carriers for fleet pricing.

Top strategies: (1) Switch from continuous streaming to event-based upload (saves 85%). (2) Use H.265 compression instead of H.264 (saves 50%). (3) Lower rear camera resolution to 720p (saves 25%). (4) Upload via WiFi at depot, use 4G only for critical events (saves 60-80%). (5) Reduce frame rate from 30 FPS to 25 FPS (saves 15%). (6) Use motion detection in parking mode (saves 90% during parked hours). Combine these for maximum savings.