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Project Fi by Google

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Re: Project Fi by Google

#321

Post by organsnyder »

Rainymood wrote: post #158
grecy wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree, and I always figured that's why they built Chrome. They needed the other browsers to step up their game, especially js performance so they could offer the kinds of web applications they wanted to.

And then .. no one did and now we're all stuck with Chrome.

Quite the contrary. The other browsers did greatly improve their game. However, Google got spoiled with their ability to add a new feature to the browser whenever a Google product would benefit.

The cynical take on this is that Google just wanted to increase lock-in to its own browser; however, I think it's more a case that Chrome is a runtime environment for Google products as much as it is a web browser.

Re: Project Fi by Google

#323

Post by switch007 »

Tomdarkness wrote: post #106
gabemart wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

3 offer the ability to use your allowances in 18 countries at no extra charge: http://www.three.co.uk/Discover/Phones/Feel_At_Home It's not as many countries, but with 3 you can get unlimited data at a fraction of the cost (I currently pay £15/month with 3 for unlimited data, 5000 3 to 3 minutes, 5000 texts and 2000 minutes to other networks).

Currently using this in Australia (and Telstra have fantastic coverage). I was amazed it was available here. It feels too good to be true!

Re: Project Fi by Google

#324

Post by [deleted] »

wiremine wrote: post #92

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…

[deleted]

Re: Project Fi by Google

#325

Post by wtallis »

tacojuan wrote: post #265
modeless wrote: post #251

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm sorry I offended your sensibilities, but this is a perfectly cromulent use of the word "incentive". If you look in a dictionary under "incentive", you might find an example sentence such as "The rising cost of electricity provides a strong incentive to conserve energy."

Data isn't a scarce resource, bandwidth maybe, but data conservation is not (should not be) a user "incentive". Carriers acting like data is scarce and in need of conserving are discouraging users from using their product...

Gigabytes/month is strongly correlated with consumption of the actual scarce resource under the assumption that most users have similar usage patterns. Variable pricing based on peak times and places would be too complex to actually work well for cellular data, unlike time-dependent pricing for wired broadband or electricity.

Re: Project Fi by Google

#326

Post by dragonwriter »

laurencerowe wrote: post #220
smacktoward wrote: post #171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What I don't get is, what's in this for Sprint and T-Mobile? Currently a user of their network is a customer they "own" -- they deal with that customer directly. Now they have Google sitting between them and the user, which effectively commoditizes their service; Google could switch them out for another network down the road without the user ever knowing or caring. That's great for Google, and probably also great for…

Google is charging a significant markup over T-Mobile's existing rates ($30/month for 5Gb vs $70/month through Gooogle.) So Fi is really only interesting for people doing significant international roaming.

Or people whose data usage is substantially below the point where typical carrier plans per-GB rates are optimal.

Re: Project Fi by Google

#327

Post by kissickas »

Someone1234 wrote: post #270
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 am on T-Mobile and travelled outside the US late last year. First off, I just want to say, the "free tier" of international data is extremely appreciated for two important reasons: - Overage is literally impossible (i.e. no "bill shock"). - If you don't wish to pay, you get "something" for nothing. So, now, the "bad." The reality is that T-Mobile's free tier is incredibly slow like "my 56K modem was faster than thi…

Absolutely correct about restarting your phone. I even restart mine twice after I change SIM cards (not a T-Mobile guy).

What's your experience with Google Maps at the free 2G speeds? That would be my first question when it comes to travel.

Re: Project Fi by Google

#328

Post by wtallis »

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 .

Won't the new FCC net neutrality rules effectively prevent tethering charges when they go into effect? Specifically, since providers will no longer be allowed to do anything to interfere with tethering, any tethering fees will be completely optional to the consumer.

Re: Project Fi by Google

#330

Post by unprepare »

pluma wrote: post #108
gabemart wrote: post #61

> Pay one rate for data around the world > > In 120+ countries, data usage costs the same $10 per GB > as it does in the US (data speed is limited to 256kbps/3G). > Check email, get directions, and keep in touch with friends > and family when on your trip. Also, call around the world > for 20c per minute and send unlimited international texts. This sounds incredible. Roaming cellular transmission costs are enormous.…

Is $10/GB and $0.2/min normal within the US? I'm not familiar with American (non-roaming) pricing. For comparison: In Germany I have an LTE data plan for my tablet where I pay €24.99 for 7.5GB (~$3.57/GB), the lowest plan being €6.99 for 1GB (~$7.50/GB). Unlimited calls in Germany including 1GB data would cost me €19.99/month (~$21.48) at the same provider and unlimited text in Germany would be an additional €4.99/mo…

A carrier in germany has to build 26 times less towers than a carrier in the US, because germany is more than 26 times smaller than the US.

I would think the increased expenditure of 26 times more towers would increase the cost of plans.

Europe also never had the culture of carrier subsidized phones, and so were never accustomed to paying more in monthly fees in exchange for low to no cost upgrades of hardware.

Tethering varies by carrier in the US - Verizon is legally obligated to allow tethering due to the result of a lawsuit, so they do not charge any extra for this, i believe t-mobile also does not charge for tethering, but it is not related to a lawsuit AFAIK

A final point is that pricing for data is fundamentally different in europe as i understand it. Most plans i am familiar with in europe tier data prices by speed - in the US almost all plans get the fastest speeds available, but it is tiered but amount of data used. You cannot pay for faster speeds on a typical US plan, only for greater amounts of data. The european side of that may have changed, as its been a year or so since i was last in europe looking into this

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