Google has opened the doors of Project Fi to anyone in the United States who owns a Gmail account and compatible devices.
The wireless service went official about 10 months ago, but up until now, interested customers had to go through an invite system to get their hands on it.
"We launched Project Fi as an invitation-only Early Access program to make sure we could deliver the best quality of service to our first customers. Today, we're excited to be exiting our invitation-only mode and opening up Project Fi so that people across the U.S. can now sign up for service without having to wait in-line for an invite," Simon Arscott, product manager of Project Fi, says.
Requirements
As the case is with practically any service, there are some requirements that need to be satisfied. First off, Project Fi is available only to those who live in covered service areas, where Google will assist subscribers in verifying it during the sign-up process. Needless to say, consumers need a Gmail account, but they should also have a Nexus 6, 6P, 5X or recent LTE-enabled Nexus tablets. Lastly, they should be 18 years old and above.
One quick word regarding compatibility: Project Fi reportedly works with a handful of other unlocked handsets and a couple of non-Nexus LTE tablets such as later versions of the iPad and Samsung Galaxy tablets.
To make sure everyone gets a chance to take part in the service, Google is also downsizing the cost of the Nexus 5X from $349 to $199 – that's a pretty big $150 price drop. Of course, they'll have to purchase and activate it via Project Fi, and the offer will last until April 7 only.
How To Sign Up For Project Fi
Step 1: Enter your Gmail account details at the Project Fi sign-up page.
Step 2: Navigate through the prompts.
Step 3: Enter your ZIP code, service address, new phone number and wireless plan.
Step 4: Order your Project Fi SIM card.
All that's left after that is to wait for the kit to arrive at the doorstep, which will contain instructions on activating the service.
For the record, Project Fi is powered by Sprint and T-Mobile networks. As for the cost, consumers will have to pay a $20 base fee for unlimited texts and calls and $10 on top for every gigabyte worth of data. In the event that they pay too much in a month, their money will just get refunded.
What's more, the plan provides Wi-Fi tethering, 3G data in more than 120 countries and international texts. Google has also stated that over 15 percent of subscribers have already used the service in other countries.
Project Fi wasn't exactly the hardest service to sign up for, and according to users, they only had to wait for about a week at most to get in. At any rate, it's great news to hear that Google is making things a lot easier for everyone by dropping a minor hurdle – well, for every person in the United States, at least – and offering the Nexus 5X at an affordable price.
