Google Fi may sound like some kind of weird startup custom (“Wow, what happened to Rick? I heard you have Googlefied!”) – but if you can get past its ridiculous name, the wireless service held by Google is a double whammy. money and improve your smartphone security status.
Make no mistake about it: Google Fi – known as Project Fi until 2018 – is a very unusual suggestion. And it will never make sense to everyone. If you fall into a certain style of using a smartphone, however, it can remove many of the bad things that often come with a normal wireless system.
So how does Fi really work, and could it be right for you? Let’s answer this question with a burning question and get it together.
What exactly is Google Fi – or Project Fi, or whatever you want to call it?
Google Fi is a technology known as MVNO, or mobile network operator. That’s a good name for a business that offers wireless service – you know, something that allows you to make and receive calls and use mobile data from that shiny rectangle in your pocket – without having to own the network infrastructure behind it.
In other words, it is like a property owner with a high technology. It does not have its own network like AT&T or Verizon; instead, it has a system with those types of network companies that allow it to access their networks and also pack access to those pipelines under its product and configuration.
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What networks does Google Fi actually use, then?
In the U.S., Fi uses a combination of T-Mobile, Sprint, and U.S. Cellular (henceforth T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular, as Sprint and T-Mobile are in similar applications). That ‘s one of its distinguishing features, in fact: When you use Google Fi and the service-designed phone, it can easily switch between those networks based on which one has the strongest service at any given time.
Oookay. How does this mumbo-jumbo switch network work ?!
Automatically and silently; day by day, you would never think of it or know that it is possible. Your phone just shows that you are connected to Google Fi – but in the background, the device continues to search for the best local network and connects you when needed.
Will I get better protection, then? How does that compare with what I have now?
That is an important question – and unfortunately, there is no simple or common answer, as in the end it all depends on where you are and how the Fi networks are working in your area.
So where can you start to find that? However, you can start by looking at the official Google Fi map. Allows you to enter specific addresses and see what kind of integrated cover you can expect in any city or area. (Don’t forget to check out any places you visit beyond the front of your home, especially if you visit certain districts regularly for work.)
For more specific information, use the free OpenSignal of your phone. The app can show you detailed maps of any set of networks anywhere – based on user-sent data – and measure the total communication capacity of different networks where you are (or where you may be).
Or, heck, you can just ask around – or reflect on your past experiences. Think of it this way: If you know that you can get a solid service, say, T-Mobile in your area, then Google Fi should work for you; addition to Sprint and U.S. networks Cellular as a possibility will eliminate that installation and fill any gaps. As long as a single Fi network is a viable option wherever you are, you are ready to go.
Is there 5G? Please tell, whats the story of them big puppys ….. WHAT ABOUT 5G ?!
Sheesh – calm down there, Paco. I don’t know if you’ve heard of it, but 5G is currently a much bigger commotion about marketing than any other important, real world for many of us.
That said, yes, you can get 5G with Fi (Fi-G?). At the moment, Google says that any phone that is compatible with the T-Mobile 5G network in the US will access 5G via Fi – at least visually, in a surprisingly small and limited range where 5G is actually available.
What about the Wi-Fi part of the process? Is Fi also not connected to public Wi-Fi networks sometimes?
All right, I will. Go get yourself a cookie, you smart little koala. He is in football today!
Google Fi truly integrates public Wi-Fi networks into its coverage, as long as you are using a device built specifically for Fi use. That is another unusual and significant part of the concept. And like a mobile network switch, everything happens automatically and without any effort on your behalf.
Here’s how it works: Whenever you are in the public domain Wi-Fi network that Google has determined is “high quality and reliable” (a phrase you may not have to borrow with your next dating app profile), your Fi. the phone will switch to that instead of using your normal mobile network. You will see it happening in stores with Wi-Fi hotspots and any other Wi-Fi hotspots available without the need for any kind of login.
Fi automatically encrypts your data whenever it is connected to a network that way, using a special private network provided by Google (VPN) – meaning no one else in the network can set up your connection and see what you are doing (in. public Wi-Fi).
But like switching to a mobile service network, you don’t really think about any of those things in everyday use. With Wi-Fi objects, you see a special icon in your status bar indicating you are connected to the network with Google-enabled encryption, but other than that, things work – and you do not set too much. consider which network or type of network your phone is connected to at any given time.
Is there a way I can always get the same VPN encryption?
After all, yes, my clever amigo! Google added a feature to Fi in 2018 that enables VPN protection that stays open for phones (a) that are explicitly designed for Fi and (b) running Android 9 or higher. (Go get yourself another cake. I’ll wait.)
It is a very powerful benefit, and, especially for anyone who is committed to the security of Android – which we should, ahem, all of us be. But in the event that you transfer sensitive company data, encrypted encryption is not only wise; it is actually a necessity. And unless your company provides you with its own custom VPN service, you usually end up relying on a third-party service for the stated protection – expensive, complicated, and difficult to test and remain fully confident over time.
With Fi built-in encryption option, that challenge is no more: Your VPN is directly provided by Google and integrated into your basic wireless service. All you have to do is turn on the Fi app on your phone to turn it on, and then you can relax knowing that all your data will always be encrypted, no matter where you are or what type of network you are using.
What about costs? Will I actually save money with this Google Fi service?
Also, there is no easy universal answer, as everyone’s needs and habits are different – and competition from other carriers is constantly emerging. There are, however, good general guidelines that can help you find that Fi can make financial sense for you (get – financial ?!)
Overall, I would say this: Fi tends to be much better for people who use a small amount of mobile data. If you burn gigs on mobile data gigs every month, you can probably do better with a different set of settings.
Now, specifically, here’s how it works: For one user, Fi charges you $ 20 a month for your basic service, giving you Unlimited calls and text messaging. In addition, you pay $ 10 for every gigabyte of mobile data you use each month – any percentage of that number that ends up valid, up to a third decim. So if, for example, you used 2.202GB of mobile data per month, you would pay $ 22.02.
And most importantly, you pay only for the amount of mobile data you actually use, without any fraudulent payments or add-ons other than the unavoidable taxes and additional payments authorized by the government. In that example of 2.202GB, your total debt could be $ 22.02 plus a $ 20 tax base – so maybe somewhere somewhere for $ 50 or less, it all comes together. (Google states that additional taxes and fees vary from region to region but are usually between 10 and 20%.)
There are a few notable asterisks here. First of all, remember that part of the Wi-Fi automatic connection of the Fi service? Remember that that works hard to help you use a little mobile data throughout the day. In evaluating your normal mobile data usage, consider whether you are often in or near places with public Wi-Fi hotspots that can help reduce your normal usage, as you know it now.
Second, Fi will only charge you up to 6GB tags per account. If you can skip over 6GB of mobile data in any month, you will still have to pay only $ 60 – $ 10 per gig six times – for that month’s use. You can go up to 15GB without paying another dime; once you reach that 15GB mark (something Google says is less than 1% of Fi users have ever done), you will have the option of slowing down mobile data at no additional cost or starting to pay $ 10 per gig and more. mobile data speed from that point onwards.
So, yes: If you regularly use 25GB of mobile data each month, you may be able to come up with a different plan. (You may also want to think of ways to reduce your data usage!) But if you can keep your monthly usage at a low to mid-digit one-digit scale, you can gradually save some dough with Fi’s pay-on-for-what-you-set -uset.
Does Google Fi offer group programs and anything like that?
It helps! Fi released the group plan option back in 2016, and it really doesn’t make sense if you have family members or employees or colleagues (in a very small organization) who use the service and might want to integrate.
The Fi group system has the same basic setup as the standard system, but each additional person in the system has a reduced base fee – $ 18 per person for two people, $ 17 per person for three, and $ 16 per person with four or more mammals. in the system. Then you still pay that rate per gigabyte for any data used, collectively. And your “top payment” rate goes up to 10GB for two people, 12GB for three, 14GB for four, 16GB for five, and 18GB for six people – so any use that exceeds that point doesn’t cost you more (albeit speed will still be lowered if you override that mark).
The Fi app has a suspension option so that members of your system can be “paid” for a portion of their total amount each month and can pay you with a few tapes using Google Pay. As the primary account holder, you have the power to suspend the service or data of any member at any time during the payment cycle, should the need or impetus (bwah hah hah) arise.
What about a large group, business style option?
Interestingly, there is no such option available – yet, however. From now on, Google Fi group setup is only up to six people, so it may work for a small business but may not be suitable for a large company, at least not in any traditional system. The exception may be when an organization performs a device style setting where employees pay for their service and get refunded; In that case, it may be an exciting and beneficial option.
All that said, it seems that it would make a very bad impression on Google to bring Fi wholeheartedly to the business environment, especially now that the company is actively developing its Google Voice service, making Voice more compatible with Fi. , and positioning the Word primarily as a business-suited G Suite (more on that per minute). With so much emphasis on G Suite and the range of G Suite services is constantly growing, you might think that Fi coming to the folder would be the next logical move that could be made.
