Geotab GO7 vs GO9: Why the GO7 Was Retired and What the GO9 Added

The GO7, introduced in the mid-2010s, was the device most fleets first met Geotab on: a plug-in telematics unit for the OBD-II or J1939 port with GPS, an accelerometer, engine data support and the IOX expansion port that later devices kept. Most GO7s used 3G cellular networks, with LTE variants arriving late in the model's life. It did the job well enough that many fleets ran the same units for seven or eight years.

Carriers shut down their 3G networks — in the US through 2022 and in Canada by 2025 — and a 3G GO7 with no network is a device that logs but cannot report. Geotab ended support for the GO7 as the sunset arrived, and fleets replaced them under swap programs. A GO7 still in a vehicle today is either an LTE variant near the end of its supported life or a device that has not reported in a long time; either way it is not a device to build a compliance program on.

The GO9, current since 2019, moved to 4G LTE with LTE-M and Cat-1 variants that will outlast the 3G sunset by many years. Its GNSS receiver uses multiple satellite constellations rather than GPS alone, which fixes position faster and more accurately in cities and under tree cover. A faster 32-bit processor with more memory runs the curve-logging algorithm and firmware features the GO7 could not, and the engine data support is broader, including electric vehicle state of charge and more OEM protocols. The IOX port is unchanged, so add-ons carry over. The GO9 is certified as a Canadian ELD with the Drive app; the GO7 never received that certification because the Canadian mandate arrived as it was being retired. The GO9+ adds built-in Wi-Fi hotspot capability and more processing for camera and add-in workloads.

Replace them. The swap is a plug-out, plug-in on most vehicles, the MyGeotab database and rules carry over, and the vehicles' history stays attached to the units. A reseller does the swap at the yard and confirms each new device is reporting and, where it matters, on the certified ELD version. High Point GPS runs GO7-to-GO9 swaps for fleets in Quebec, Ontario and the northeastern US.