Their office is right around the corner from my office, and I've spoken to Josh Turner via e-mail. He's very responsive and seems like he wants to do some good for the EV community. They are also getting some sort of funding from a family-owned oil company, so that's good to have some backing.
If Ford is going to leave older vehicles on BlueCruise 1.4 with no further updates, then they should offer a discounted subscription program. $41-$50/month is insanity when you're paying for mapping updates.
You could probably hunt around for a low data plan if you don't want to add a line. T-Mobile does Data with Paired DIGITS that lets you copy your phone onto a second SIM card for $10/month. But you could probably find an ultra cheap prepaid line to accomplish the same.
It's a bummer to not get...
About your route planning complaint: I have a free line with T-Mobile and a free Android phone. I keep it in the truck for when I do long trips. Google Maps Route planning seems like the best.
It's in their best interest to get approval from Ford. They could lose commissions on your sale, be fined by Ford, or lose the ability to take X-Plan sales. And they are responsible for verifying your eligibility prior to the sale.
But if they gave me any trouble or I heard any threats, I would...
No, there's free WiFi at some Supercharger stations that a Tesla will connect to automatically but the intention is to pay less data to AT&T since Tesla has a $10 unlimited data plan.