Google Offers a New Way to Say Hello

A few days ago I was walking down the street when a sign in a window caught my eye. It read, “Free Wi-Fi Here.” This is the type of sign that you see in a lot of places these days— cafes, restaurants, books stores all have them. What made this seem out of place, to me at least, was the fact that this was in a shoe store.

It goes to prove my point that we live in a generation of having to be connected all the time, everywhere. Apparently, Google feels that we could be a little more connected than we already are, as is evident from a blog posting that begins with, “But even in places like the U.S., where mobile connections are nearly ubiquitous, there are still times when you turn to your phone for that split-second answer and don't have fast enough speed. As mobile devices continually improve how you connect to people and information, it's important that wireless connectivity and communication keep pace and be fast everywhere, easy to use, and accessible to everyone.”

Earlier this month, Google announced that it was in talks with a Hong Kong company with the hopes of reaching a wholesale agreement in which Google will use its network to deliver international calls, text and data at the same price regardless of whether you are in the U.S. or abroad. The announcement made on April 22, 2015 concerns Project Fi, a new cell phone service.

At first glance, Project Fi looks like any other wireless service, but take a closer look. You will find that Google has partnered with Sprint and T-Mobile with the purpose of being able to tap into their global Wi-Fi hotspots, which surpass the one million mark.

Riding on the back of these networks, Google will be able to seamlessly switch to the fastest and most reliable service based on your location. Regardless of whether the best connection is Wi-Fi or 4G LTE Project Fi will let you make calls, stream media, browse the Web and use apps. You can also make and place calls using your phone number on any of your devices, including a laptop or a tablet because your phone number takes up residence in the cloud.

Today, most people are constantly on the move, as you make your way around town, if you leave an area of Wi-Fi coverage, your call will be seamlessly transferred from Wi-Fi to cell networks so your conversation does not get dropped.

If you are worried about using a public Wi-Fi hotspot to access emails or sensitive data, you can put your mind at ease. As the Google blog posts, “Once you're connected, we help secure your data through encryption. When you're not on Wi-Fi, we move you between whichever of our partner networks is delivering the fastest speed, so you get 4G LTE in more places.”

When it becomes available, the service will include unlimited talk, text, inexpensive international calls, as well as international roaming, with a starting price of $20. The data plan will run $10 per gigabyte of data that you use. If you do not use that much data, you will get see a credit on your next bill and if you use more, you will only be charged for what you do use.

As of the time of the blog posting, the only phone that supports the hardware and software to run Project Fi is the Nexus 6. If you want to participate in a trial program, you will need to acquire a Nexus 6 and request an invite from Google.