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Project Fi by Google

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Re: Project Fi by Google

#91

Post by Glyptodon »

amalag wrote: post #23

This is doing the same things as Republic Wireless. Calls and texts over wifi to keep their carrier costs down. RW is cheaper at $10 a month without data and $25 for unlimited 3G. With RW you need their customized android phone but they are cheap. $650 for the phone is steep (or a credit pull).

Yeah, I like Republic, they've got a 'refund your unused data' feature in beta, too, and it should make their service cheaper than this offering, though I don't know if they offer an automatic Wifi VPN tunnel.

Re: Project Fi by Google

#92

Post by wiremine »

For those who don't want to read the FAQ or find the video incredibly unhelpful [1]:

a. It only supports the Nexus 6 out of the gate.

b. It automatically switches you to the "fastest" network available. Partners out of the gate are Sprint and T-mobile. Sounds like it prefers Wifi, then 4G LTE, and then degrades down to 3G or 2G.

c. Pricing is $20 for unlimited talk (domestic) and text (domestic and international) and wi-fi tethering. Data is $10 per Gig. (Plus taxes, etc.) No support for unlimited data. they also refund you all the unlimited data at the end of the month.

d. No annual contract required.

e. Supports calls over wi-fi.

Coverage map here: https://fi.google.com/coverage

[1] Not even sure why they made a video, it doesn't explain a thing...

Edit: clarified domestic talk pricing, and refunding data.

Re: Project Fi by Google

#93

Post by tomhschmidt »

MBlume wrote: post #40

"We refund the data you don't use" is basically a way of saying "you pay by the megabyte for the data you do use" -- which is actually really great, I've been frustrated that everyone's settled on "all-you-can-eat" data as the standard, it doesn't align incentives well at all. And they really are refunding it: if you use 1.2GB per month, it doesn't matter whether you sign up for 2, 5, or 10GB, your bill comes out exa…

This plan actually makes no sense. Overage charges are the same rate ($10 / GB), so why am I buying a "plan" at all? Why don't they just charge $10 * x gigs / month instead of all this buying / refunding business?

Re: Project Fi by Google

#94

Post by anonymousDan »

gabemart wrote: post #76
vigneshv_psg wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

FWIW, T-Mobile in the US already has the exact same offering [1]. Their plan has free texts and 2g data in 120+ countries. Calls cost 20 cents per minute. [1] http://www.t-mobile.com/optional-services/roaming.html

I think this is offering 3g rather than 2g, but I wasn't aware of that, thanks! It seems like UK carriers are lagging behind rather badly in this regard.

I'm pretty sure 3 in the UK has a package where you don't pay anything extra for roaming (http://www.three.co.uk/Support/Roaming_and_International).

Re: Project Fi by Google

#95

Post by ChrisClark »

higherpurpose wrote: post #64
vjdhama wrote: post #48

It's amazing that $10/GB is about 4 times amount local telecom providers charge for 3G in india.

The price is a little disappointing. I expected Google to compete on price as well, but it may not even be its fault if its partners don't want to undercut it on prices, and they just allow Google to compete on services.

Yeah, since Google is just buying service from the others, they probably don't have much room.

Re: Project Fi by Google

#96

Post by yellowapple »

magic5227 wrote: post #72

Two observations: 1) Terrible name, really awful. Fi? I guess if it's "project" maybe this wasn't public-brand ready? 2) Why wouldn't someone choose the t-mobile unlimited plan vs this one? 3) For the refund policy, why wouldn't everyone sign up for the lowest plan? The presentation is confusing, just say 1gb min and $10 for each gig after that.

> Why wouldn't someone choose the t-mobile unlimited plan vs this one?

The "compelling" feature is the support for multiple carriers (T-Mobile and Sprint) without having to do some zany dual-SIM setup or somesuch.

To me, though, that's barely any consolation for the lack of an unlimited plan, which is a deal-breaker, and which is why - no matter how "good" Verizon and AT&T (for example) advertise themselves to be - I'll never switch back to them until they provide an unlimited data plan. T-Mobile's unlimited plan (and even its non-unlimited plans) are a way better deal, since you're never charged overages (unlike with Sprint's non-unlimited plans, all of AT&T and Verizon's plans, and - now - Google Fi).

Re: Project Fi by Google

#97

Post by nevir »

tomhschmidt wrote: post #93
MBlume wrote: post #40

"We refund the data you don't use" is basically a way of saying "you pay by the megabyte for the data you do use" -- which is actually really great, I've been frustrated that everyone's settled on "all-you-can-eat" data as the standard, it doesn't align incentives well at all. And they really are refunding it: if you use 1.2GB per month, it doesn't matter whether you sign up for 2, 5, or 10GB, your bill comes out exa…

This plan actually makes no sense. Overage charges are the same rate ($10 / GB), so why am I buying a "plan" at all? Why don't they just charge $10 * x gigs / month instead of all this buying / refunding business?

It lets you impose a upper limit of how much you want to spend (I think)

Re: Project Fi by Google

#98

Post by pluma »

MBlume wrote: post #62
higherpurpose wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's a good point. It's one thing to offer "unlimited data" for a fixed price - which is about ideal for a consumer, but that doesn't exist anymore. What you get is a fixed amount of data for a fixed price. But the provider has an incentive to make you use as little as possible, to increase its profits. But if instead you get the data returned to you, or you pay a reasonable amount by the MB, then the provider has…

Also, notice that they're not charging extra for tethering, or care how many devices you tether to. As far as they're concerned, data is data because you're paying for it .

Why would they charge extra for tethering?

Is that a thing in some countries?

Re: Project Fi by Google

#99

Post by sliverstorm »

davmre wrote: post #35
tptacek wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It only works for Google phones? There isn't an antitrust issue there?

It only works specifically with the Nexus 6 (not other Google phones), apparently for technical reasons involving network-switching capabilities. Possibly that's BS, but assuming it's legit I'd imagine they'll try to get the technology into other makers' phones in the future. Though even if they didn't, Google doesn't have a monopoly position in phone hardware so it's not clear antitrust would come into play.

First of all WiFi calling is still a specialty thing requiring custom firmware (see: you cannot BYOD on Republic Wireless)

Second of all the N6 is one of the few phones with dual GSM and CDMA radios, and T-Mobile/Sprint are GSM/CDMA, respectively.

Re: Project Fi by Google

#100

Post by sadface »

kirinan wrote: post #8

This is insane. I can't think of an industry that google is not trying to compete in. Auto industry, space industry, internet of things industry (Nest), internet/media industry, cable/internet provider industry, automobile industry, robotics industry, software industry, smartphone industry, pc industry now the telecom industry. I'm starting to expect Google to launch an airline here pretty soon. How can they possibly…

Doing stuff like this helps Google perpetuate their reputation as a company that's doing "cool things that matter" despite the fact that, financially, they're just a big internet ads company. By doing these types of things Google has developed has such a good employment brand that they can get as many CMU CS Masters and Harvard MBAs as they want. They don't need 53,000 of the best and brightest people on earth working on AdWords, so letting some of these people loose on other markets kinda makes sense. Better to let them do it under google's umbrella than someone else's. And besides, they might actually succeed!
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