Slashdot Mirror
Project Fi Creates Its Own Version of An Unlimited Plan (theverge.com)
Google's Project Fi mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) has launched a new feature called Bill Protection that will cap your $10 per GB data bill at $60 a month, while still allowing you to use as much data as you want, essentially creating its own version of an unlimited data plan. The Verge reports: Prior to today, Project Fi users were charged $10 per GB no matter how much data they used, which could become quite costly for heavy users. Bill Protection should help alleviate those worries for most users. Google says those who use up to 15GB of data in a month won't experience any throttling, but if they cross that threshold -- Google says less than 1 percent of its users pass that mark -- they will "experience slower data" with speeds going down to 256kbps. If you don't want to be throttled when you pass 15GB in a month, Google says you can pay the usual $10 per GB to opt out of the slower speeds. It also noted that Bill Protection for Project Fi users on group plans will kick in at different usage levels, depending on the size of your group.
Other networks give more GB's at full speed some with just lower priority on the tower after going over.
The throttling 24/7 (not just during times of congestion) is pretty aggressive too.
Wow, sent an e-mail as suggested when clicking on "use classic" banner, and got a fast response that addressed my msg
Yeah, but do other networks allow me to use the data in 100+ other countries with no extra charges or anything needed to be done by me?
I could also opt out and just pay the extra money to make the "problem" go away.
Either way it's a win / win situation from what we had a month ago. A month ago 15GB of data would have cost $150 instead of the now $60. This means paying full price for higher usage literally doesn't change, but from 6-15GB can be over 50% cheaper.
Other networks also don't work out as cheap for a data plan either. I normally use between 500-800MB a month since wifi is damn near everywhere now. That means I pay $5-$8 per month for my data plan. $25-$28 / month for coverage from three different carriers across the U.S. and data in 100+ countries is pretty damn nice.
To err is human; effective mayhem requires the root password!
I've passed it three time.
Two times an app that's supposed to download podcasts over WiFi only decided to use normal data. Another I needed to webcast an announcement for a political connection and it was better than the hotel WiFi.
In short - if the places I hung around (work) had better WiFi so that my automated downloader didn't hiccup and/or fail to download on a regular basis I would practically never exceed my bandwidth. The program itself seems to be pretty good about not doing it on mobile data, it's when I manually force it, it will use anything.
fi had been great. I'm rarely without a signal. During Hurricane Harvey Sprint and T-Mobile had great signals but zero backhaul. I was able to force it over to US Cellular (a carrier that doesn't really exist as an entity down here but still have coverage for their travelers) and even though the signal was weak I could let people know we were safe. What other carrier can you switch your carrier on when a local connection sucks?
The preceding post was not a Slashvertisement.
I don't get it. T-Mobile offers unlimited everything for $45 a month. International included. How much more straightforward can the pricing be? Paying per GB is not very straightforward at all.
Or people who travel overseas and don't want to get charged extra.
idiot
"Trump!!", the new Godwin.
Then don't buy it.
"Trump!!", the new Godwin.
I don't get it. Tmobile doesn't have any small print and hidden charges. It is $45 a month, unlimited. Includes Netflix. $26 sounds great, but who only uses 400MB data a month? 10-13GB is more typical. That would be $120 a month with Fi I guess, except they cap it
Xfinity. It would charge you $24 for that.
I'm sure this is useful to you, but given how rarely most of us leave the US, and given T-Mobile (for example) has perfectly reasonable data roaming offerings (unlimited 128kbps), I suspect the number of people who find Project Fi's roaming compelling is minuscule.
I'm not knocking supporting minority uses, I just question whether this is the kind of thing that'll make Project Fi take off. Most of us can think of features they could add to Android phones or Chromebooks that would make it compelling to us, but we know full well nobody else would care. This feels like that, with Fi having a nice roaming feature, but being a phenomenally expensive alternative to more ordinary plans for more traditional uses.
You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
And they'll give you 256Kbps (among other things for $10/mo more...
Then don't buy it.
The masses are indeed staying away in droves, en masse.
This is a hacked account, for which the owner can not be held responsible.
My wife and I average $50 a month. It's hard to beat that. I certainly don't see anything on the T-Mobile site that can beat that. That's $50 *total*, by the way, not per person. The T-Mobile pure pay as you go plan would end up being more because of text and voice. Getting an unlimited text/talk + limited data plan would definitely be more. The multiple network coverage is nice, though usually not a big deal. Flexibility is also nice. Normally we are around wifi all the time, but occasionally when we travel we use a lot more data, and that month we may pay a little more than a T-Mobile plan, but the average over time is much less. That's why a pay-for-what you actually use plan makes so much sense. We traveled to Wales last year, and ended up using a lot more data that month - but it wasn't that expensive. The international benefits also came in handy. This latest process cap is just a nice bonus. I wouldn't recommend FI to anyone that was planning on hitting the cap regularly.
Xfinity's international roaming examples: $.50/min voice $.10/txt and $.15/MB in Japan $.10/min voice $.10/txt and $.05/MB in Canada
Its really not, because you save a ton by not paying for unused data. If you use 515 MB, then you pay $5.15 for data. Fi also does a great job of using wifi whenever possible, including for voice calls and the provide a free VPN so that you can feel safe using public wifi in more places.
My bill is typically around $28. Most providers with service rates in that ball park do not give you access to Nexus phones.
I am typicallly around 700 MB of data and I don't hold back. Home, work, gym, hotels, restaurants... they all have wifi. I don't think I could use 10 GB of data in a month if I tried.
This
Im also on FI, I usually use at most ~800mb but more typically in the 500mb range. When Im at home Im on wifi, at work on wifi, and out it's hit or miss, hence the 500. End up with a 24-28$bill on average saving 240$/yr over tmobile. Throw in some extra 10$ here and there if you happen to go over 1gb and it's still cheaper
TMobile costs $75 ($5 extra, or $15 more than this) to get meaningful data overseas.
On the plus side, they don't throttle you down to 0.25mbps for hitting 15 GB.
Instead, at 50GB they throttle you down during heavy load times. I assume that you're always in that low priority heavy load state on project-fi though, since it's an mvno.
Project FI remains for relatively low use, or wifi heavy use, and that's OK, for that and travel it may be better than TMobile price wise, but in general it seems like a bad deal.
There are rare instances where I think it makes more sense than a flat rate domestic mvno or TMobile.
Wow, sent an e-mail as suggested when clicking on "use classic" banner, and got a fast response that addressed my msg
I had T-Mobile before I switched to Project Fi. I've had Fi in three places now, East Coast, Houston and now California. It really seems better to me and certainly cheaper most months because I don't pay for any bandwidth I don't use. Lots of months my bill is about $25. Quality is good, I bought the phone outright so I don't pay any vig and I never see "service fees" or additional charges on my bill, ever.
You are welcome on my lawn.
True, but that's not the full story...
Base plan: $20/month for unlimited talk and text. $10/GB used, prorated, not charged for what you don't use. Add taxes and regulatory fees. So, if you use not tower data, you pay something like $23/month. Now add that you pay the prorated amount without overages... This is more like a flex plan. Soft cap, yes. Is the throttled speed low? Yes. But with most unlimited plans you pay the full amount even if you use no data.
I'll stick to my previous position for anyone contemplating Fi that I've been saying from when I first switched: If you're not a heavy data user, it's nearly perfect. This just made it better for moderate users.
If it limits your bandwidth.
Let's face it: Every plan is limited. time-of-month x bandwith = limit of your data. If it is the full bandwidth you may call it unlimited (in bandwidth).
When you start to throttle at some point the bandwidth you reduce the data with respect to the data of an "unlimited" plan.
Project Fi isn't supposed to take off. Its supposed to put pricing and behavior pressure on the big carriers. For that it doesn't need to be big, it just needs to be enough of a threat to stop them from acting badly.
I still have more fans than freaks. WTF is wrong with you people?
My average total bill is $33 or so. 20 for call/text, 10 for data, and a few bucks in taxes. I save $500+ a year from when I had an unlimited plan. On top of that its still the same price when I leave the country. Oh, and it will automatically log into free wifi and VPN me to protect my data and save me from using charged cellular data while walking around. If you use less than 6 GB a month (which is the vast majority of people), its the best deal out there.
I still have more fans than freaks. WTF is wrong with you people?
For the last year or so it's between 2-10mbps. So HSPA speeds. Not exactly 4G LTE, but better than 256kbps.
To err is human; effective mayhem requires the root password!
I have never run a 'speed test' but most of the time I connect via LTE where LTE exists. AFAIK the data isn't capped while travelling internationally. Although Hong Kong is still a random blackout sore spot, which is really annoying when 3 offers unlimited LTE at US$12/month.
ObRant: 3 is owned by Hutchison Whampoa based in Whampoa, Hong Kong. The FI international provider is Hutchison Whampoa and states that they provide access to 3's LTE network (which has the greatest and fastest coverage in Hong Kong) yet every time I'm there data and cell connectivity is a crapshoot. Hong Kong has historically been, and continues to be, a problematic destination for FI users.
Great plan! I would switch immediately if I can use my iPhone under FI plan.
Where Fi really works for me is the per device cost. I've got a phone and cellular tablet but I'm barely using only about .9 - 1.1 GB / month of mobile data between the both of them. Fi only charges for data costs on data-only devices.
So with Fi I'm playing $30-33(+taxes) for both devices. T-mobile wants 90/month for the same number of devices. Even when I was grandfathered in with T-Mobile, It would have been $70/month for both devices on T-Mobile. Verizon wants 75/month for just one line alone... And T-mobile doesn't charge back unused data...
No good deed goes unpunished.
I can control my bill so that I pay as little as $30 but never more than $80. I pay for exactly what I use and nothing more. Unlike some other carriers I get excellent receiption in rural areas thanks to U.S. Cellular. In addition, I've used my phone in Canada, Ecuador, Hong Kong and Indonesia with no issues and no additional Sims or added charges. Best of all, no contracts or early termination fees what so ever. This makes me even happier I switched to Project Fi.
The US market is atrocious. The Canadian market, from what I gather (not researched) is even worse.