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Project Fi — Google's new wireless service
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@rrhoover also funny that they fought for net neutrality but then encouraged us to "stay in the fast lane."
Another day, another new industry for Google.
Good article - http://www.theverge.com/2015/4/2...
the other question - if you port your number to Project FI, will they support porting out or will that become your new Google Voice/Hangout number for life.
BTW, you can use a similar MVNO, https://ting.com , for about the same price with any phone (not just Nexus 6), and they operate on the same MNOs (Sprint and T-Mobile)
@michael_mclean Yup. Pretty much any phone you have lying around will work (GSM or Sprint). Each device you activate is $6/month, then you pay monthly for what you use in minutes, texts, and data. Usage is shared across all the devices in your account. Depending on your usage and needs, it can be substantially cheaper than going with a big carrier.
(Disclosure - Ting and Hover are both Tucows companies and I often wear a Ting jacket as I used to work on that product before coming over to Hover).
I am a long time user of Republic Wireless (RW). I joined their beta in 2012. Republic Wireless uses this same concept as Project Fi, but they were always limited by their software. There are frustrating bugs where native Android features do not work well and despite the fact that RW uses flagship Android phones (Moto X 1st and 2nd gen), software updates take longer than usual to make it to the hardware; RW phones run Android 4.4.4 and the company is only "working on" Android 5.0. While the idea of RW is great, their execution is weak compared to Project Fi.
It looks like Google took the RW product and fixed everything wrong with it. I'm excited to get an invite and make the switch.
"For $20 a month you get all the basics (talk, text, Wi-Fi tethering, and international coverage in 120+ countries), and then it's a flat $10 per GB for cellular data while in the U.S. and abroad. 1GB is $10/month, 2GB is $20/month, 3GB is $30/month, and so on. Since it's hard to predict your data usage, you'll get credit for the full value of your unused data. Let's say you go with 3GB for $30 and only use 1.4GB one month. You'll get $16 back, so you only pay for what you use."
Wow, that pricing is incredibly competitive, especially considering that international roaming and personal hotspot are free and there are no contracts or early termination fees.
@michaelrbock you really do get ripped off in the US with carrier pricing! In the UK, I'm on a truly unlimited data plan (including tethering) that can also be used in a large number of countries for no extra cost, all for £15/month.
So, by that measure, the Project Fi pricing wouldn't be tempting at all if it was in the UK.
@michaelrbock Agree - and even thought I'm kicking myself for not being a Nexus 6 user and locked into a contract, I'm looking forward to seeing what this pricing structure does to disrupt the rest of the US market.
Just got an invite for Project Fi on the same day I am switching over to T-Mobile who is offering a free month of service with 5GB of data. Now I just need to get a Nexus 6....
Wow. And you have to be a Nexus 6 user.
"To be eligible for Project Fi's Early Access Program, you'll need a Gmail account and live in a U.S. zipcode where we have coverage. Once you get an invitation, you’ll also need a Nexus 6—the first smartphone to work with our network of networks. You can buy one from Project Fi when you sign up or bring one you already use."
This really caught my interest and I just so happen to be a Nexus 6 user. As I tend to be on WIFi most of the day, I average about 2.5-3GB a month of data. Going with the higher number that ends up being just $50 a month + fees/taxes. Not bad compared to the $98.40 I pay AT&T for "unlimited" and device payment fee.
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