Project Fi: 5 Things You Should Know About Google’s Wi-Fi

After months of rumors and speculation, this morning Google announced Verizon will get into the wireless carrier game to compete with AT&T and other carriers in the United States. Google’s new mobile network, Project Fi, uses some of the latest technology to keep users connected to the best possible network anytime, anywhere, and has low monthly fees to alert other carriers.

Earlier this year, some initial rumors were swirling around suggesting that Google wanted to create its own wireless network, but that’s not exactly what’s going on here. While this new project will compete with Verizon and other carriers, it is more of a move to advance mobile and connectivity technology than to actually compete with carriers.

Google’s new wireless mobile network is called Project Fi, and it was announced and revealed this morning. Below we’ll go over all the details, what you need to know, and how they work.

While Google claims Project Fi isn’t intended to compete with other carriers, it has a lot to offer and could be a great move for potential smartphone owners looking for better connectivity and a lower monthly bill. You’ll have the fastest possible connection at any given moment, you only pay for what you use, and it’s only coming to the Nexus 6 with more devices in the near future.

What is Project Fi?

Project Fi is the official name for Google’s new wireless mobile network, such as AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile or Sprint. And although a better name will probably be announced once this becomes a mainstream service, that’s what they call it for now. This is a first launch only, only available to a select few who have received an invite, but we’ll go over all of that below.

Google’s wireless network will be a 3-part system. Using T-Mobile, Sprint and free Wi-Fi hotspots all over the country. That way you’ll be making phone calls, sending text messages, browsing the web, Facebook, and more. It is a cutting-edge technology that gets the best connection at any given moment, seamlessly switches between 4G LTE and WiFi, and gives the user freedom of connection. At least according to Google. The goal is to provide you with the best, most reliable and fastest connection possible at any given moment. Below is the launch video that explains everything better for those interested.

You might be on T-Mobile’s 4G LTE at home at first, but if you’re traveling, at work, or out at a coffee shop with a better connection than WiFi or Sprint, your Project Fi-connected device will change. for you, all behind the scenes. We’re not yet sure how this will affect battery life, but Google promises a smooth transition between connections. Allowing users to enjoy the best possible smartphone experience wherever and whenever they are.

Easy communication between networks and devices

Project Fi works to eliminate technology so you can communicate over the type of network and device you use. You can talk and text as you normally would, wherever you’re connected to Wi-Fi, whether at home, at your favorite coffee shop, or in the Batcave. If you leave Wi-Fi coverage, your call seamlessly switches from Wi-Fi to cell networks, so your call won’t skip for a second. We also want to help phone numbers adapt to a multi-screen world. With Project Fi, your phone number lives in the cloud so you can talk and text with your number on almost any phone, tablet or laptop. So the next time you lose your phone, you can stay connected using another screen.

Project Fi will use T-Mobile, Sprint and more than 1 million free WiFi hotspots across the country, which they consider to be safe, fast and reliable. Everything will be securely encrypted for user protection and peace of mind. This is a bold project and just that, just a project for now, open only to a select few.

Supported devices

For now, the Motorola Nexus 6 smartphone that Google launched in November 2014 is the only device the carrier will offer. Those who own a Nexus 6 can: sign up for invitation Connect to Project Fi or buy one when they sign up for the service and become a customer of Google’s new wireless network.

As initial rumors suggest, the Nexus 6 will be the only device that can take advantage of Google’s Project Fi, at least for now. Most likely new devices like the Moto X, Nexus 5 and hopefully the Galaxy S6 will hit the market in the future, but for now, the Nexus 6 is the only option. If you already have a Nexus 6, you can use Project Fi or purchase one when you sign up.

That’s all we know about device options so far, and hopefully in the coming weeks or months, Google will announce more details, device compatibility, and more.

Pricing

One of the most important aspects of Project Fi is price. Google needs to get customers to leave Verizon or AT&T and try Project Fi. How will they do this? As the cheapest wireless carrier in the United States. This is a brave move.

You get all the basics (talk, text messaging, Wi-Fi tethering, and international coverage in 120+ countries) for $20 per month, and then a flat $10 per GB for cellular data when in the US and abroad. 1GB for $10 per month, 2GB for $20 per month, 3GB for $30 per month, etc.

Typically, carriers offer 1, 2, 5, or 10 GB data plans or shared family repositories. With Project Fi, you only pay for what you use. Some carriers like T-Mobile rollover data, so if you don’t use all 5GB for a month, the rest is available below. And while that’s nice, it doesn’t cut your monthly phone bill at all.

If you use 3GB of data in a month with Project Fi, you’ll pay $20 plus $10 for each GB of data, making your bill only $50 that month. If you use 5GB of data the next month, you’ll pay $70. It is quite inexpensive and extremely consumer friendly. You’ll pay upfront for data, so ask for 5GB for a month and pay an additional $10 for an extra GB of data if you use more. Let’s say you bought 3GB for $30 and used only 1.4GB for a month. You will get $16 back. You only pay for what you use. Now this is something I can get behind!

Google will charge a flat $20 fee for the service, offering users 1GB of data up to 10GB of data. Not sure if more will be available for data-heavy users, but website showing plansThat’s all we’ve seen so far. Oh, and WiFi tethering is free regardless. Compared to operators that charge $10-20 per month for tethering and WiFi hotspots.

Register

So how do you get rid of Verizon and sign up for Project Fi? You can’t for now. This is an early project only and is only available to a select few users who have been accepted into Google’s early access program. You’ll need a Nexus 6, be in a location with coverage in the United States (T-Mobile, Sprint, and anywhere with WiFi) and you’ll need Invite.

Starting today, Google will send out several invites each week, distribute more and more invites, and allow more usage on its new wireless network each week. We’ve already signed up and the email says we need to keep an eye on our inbox as invites will arrive “in the coming weeks”. This means that the service is not available to the public today and there is no actual date listed anywhere on the website.

However, Project Fi is real, it’s here and you’ll soon be able to test it out and possibly leave your current carrier.

Check Coverage

If everything above sounds great (and it does), you’re probably wondering if Project Fi is available in your area and if the coverage will be good enough for you to ditch the solid 4G LTE you get from Verizon or AT&T. For now, it’s just the first launch, but you’ll have coverage anywhere you have T-Mobile, Sprint, or WiFi. Meaning yes, you are probably safe.

That said, Google is making things easy for leads, and you can check the coverage here: click here. You’ll most likely have coverage and be able to use Project Fi, but just to be safe keep an eye out and then request an invite at the link and details above.

With the help of its partners, Google has created a special SIM card that gives you access to multiple networks. You’ll need it to be able to use Fi’s coverage after signing up.

final thoughts

This is the first day and all the details have not been confirmed yet. Google’s only Project Fi yet to be announced will start sending out invites in the coming weeks, and users will start flocking to the network. Since device compatibility is limited to the Nexus 6, we don’t expect any slowdowns due to network overuse, but we’ll have to wait and see. Our biggest questions are how smooth the transition between networks will be, how much battery consumption will be, and when we can actually test and try Project Fi.

From what we’ve heard and seen, this is a big step forward for carriers and mobile connections as a whole, and pricing is very aggressive. It allows users to choose how much data they want, pay only for what they use, and get a refund if they don’t use it all. All this while offering free tethering and international calling.

In closing, Google claims Project Fi phone numbers “live in the cloud,” allowing you to send text messages and make voice calls from a laptop or tablet without your real phone nearby. Then, while on the phone, Google says calls can seamlessly switch to LTE when you leave a Wi-Fi network. Everything looks promising, such as the price, but we’ll have to wait and see. Keep an eye out for your inbox as invites start shipping out this week and more to come each week. Will you try Project Fi?