Google announces Project Fi: Partners with Sprint and T-Mobile for Network Access (previous title: Google to start it's own Wireless Service; using T-Mobile/Sprint for it's Network Footprint.)

[lordsutch]

Both Sprint and T-Mobile have historically been very MVNO friendly compared to AT&T and particularly Verizon; I expect in the event of a merger, maintaining that friendliness would be an important condition of the merger.

[Arysyn]

Both Sprint and T-Mobile have historically been very MVNO friendly compared to AT&T and particularly Verizon; I expect in the event of a merger, maintaining that friendliness would be an important condition of the merger.

 

Makes me wonder how the network integration process between Sprint and T-Mobile might affect these MVNOs.

[Paynefanbro]

Project Fi now has "bill protection" which caps your bill at $80 if you use more than 6GB in a month and you'll continue to get high speed data up until the 15GB mark. At that point, you will be slowed down to 256Kbps but you are given the option to pay $10/GB for more high speed data. If you use less than 6GB, you'll pay the normal $10/GB price. 

This addresses one of the pain points about Project Fi which is that it loses value very quickly if you use more data. While it's still more expensive than prepaid options like MetroPCS or Boost Mobile, it offers international talk, text, and 2̶5̶6̶k̶b̶p̶s̶ 3G/LTE data (depending on the country) internationally at $10/GB and runs on 3 different networks domestically so it might be worth it.

https://blog.google/products/project-fi/bill-protection/

[SuzieTuesday]

1 hour ago, Paynefanbro said:

... it offers international talk, text, and 256kbps data internationally at $10/GB ...

Just a minor correction, international data is full 3G or LTE speed depending upon what's available in country, NOT 256 Kbps. That changed roughly 18 months ago.  https://techcrunch.com/2016/07/12/googles-project-fi-high-speed-international-pokemon/

[Paynefanbro]

2 minutes ago, SuzieTuesday said:

Just a minor correction, international data is full 3G or LTE speed depending upon what's available in country, NOT 256 Kbps. That changed roughly 18 months ago.  https://techcrunch.com/2016/07/12/googles-project-fi-high-speed-international-pokemon/

Even better! Also just corrected it. Thanks!

[Paynefanbro]

You can now use iPhones and most Android phones on Google Fi but it seems like the switching between cellular networks might not work.

https://blog.google/products/project-fi/bringing-google-fi-more-people-android-and-ios/

[clbowens]

Fi sounds cool, but for how much data I use a month, I would be paying more.

[bigsnake49]

42 minutes ago, Paynefanbro said:

You can now use iPhones and most Android phones on Google Fi but it seems like the switching between cellular networks might not work.

https://blog.google/products/project-fi/bringing-google-fi-more-people-android-and-ios/

That's wonderful from a phone selection and it needed to have been done 3 years ago. Why do you think that the network switching might not work?

[Flompholph]

12 minutes ago, bigsnake49 said:

Why do you think that the network switching might not work?

Because google itself says it won't work seamlessly. Did you read the blog?

[bigsnake49]

12 minutes ago, Flompholph said:

Because google itself says it won't work seamlessly. Did you read the blog?

The blog is not detailed enough on what does not work. So it falls back to T-Mobile only? Or do you have to manually switch?

I have  a Nexus 5x I can throw back at it.

 

Edited November 28, 2018 by bigsnake49

[Paynefanbro]

The Verge is reporting that it defaults to T-Mobile's network on non-Fi sold devices. No thanks. Sprint is better for me in my home area.

[S4GRU]

8 hours ago, bigsnake49 said:

The blog is not detailed enough on what does not work. So it falls back to T-Mobile only? Or do you have to manually switch?

I have  a Nexus 5x I can throw back at it.

 

I am able to manually switch my OnePlus 2 to Sprint now using the dialer code.  In the past, the dialer codes did not work.  However the Dialer Code for USCC is not working on it.  Just Sprint and T-Mobile.  Ironically, it will now execute the AUTO SWITCH dialer code.  But it does not seem to actually switch automatically.

Robert

[bigsnake49]

31 minutes ago, S4GRU said:

I am able to manually switch my OnePlus 2 to Sprint now using the dialer code.  In the past, the dialer codes did not work.  However the Dialer Code for USCC is not working on it.  Just Sprint and T-Mobile.  Ironically, it will now execute the AUTO SWITCH dialer code.  But it does not seem to actually switch automatically.

Robert

On the Nexus 5x I have a handy little app called Fi Switch which allows me to paste the dialer codes into the dialer. I decided to not go back to Google Fi since I am actually waiting for Spectrum Mobile to enable BYOD on their Verizon based MNVO so I can switch my main line to that. I have a Kickstarter $15 line on Sprint but I have not seen any T-Mobile roaming yet. I am wondering if T-Mobile roaming is enabled on a market by market basis in conjunction with VOLTE or is it because it is a BYOD phone.