Google Project Fi - Is anyone using it in The Villages?
 

Google came out with 2 new cell phones today that will run on Project Fi. For more info about it here is a link - Google Project Fi

Is anyone currently using it with a NEXUS 6 now? How is coverage around TV?

Thanks

I tried Fi briefly here in upstate NY. My thought was to try it out and as long as it was decent, I'd keep it when I return to TV in October and see how it went there.

Sadly, it turned out that the coverage in the counties I inhabit most often here in NY (Dutchess and Ulster) was terrible. Nearly non-existent. It seemed to want to use Sprint most of the time and the nearest Sprint tower to me is more than 10 miles away. I was lucky to get one bar of 3G coverage. Most of the time it was 2G. My main carrier, AT&T, consistently delivers multi-bar 4G LTE service here. So I ended up cancelling Fi in less than a week.

As to how it might work in TV, it would depend on how good the Sprint and T-Mobile coverage is in the area. If you can get strong 4G coverage from both, it'll probably work very well. Otherwise probably not so good.

An anecdotal story, when I was in TV in the Spring I put a SimpliSafe alarm system into the house we bought in Winifred. It initially came with a T-Mobile connection but had problems making a good connection. I had to have them send me a Verizon card to replace the T-Mobile one and thereafter everything was fine. Based on that (admittedly limited) experience with T-Mobile in TV, I'd be worried about Fi (at least from the Winifred area).

A couple of postscripts. First, I will say that the WiFi calling feature of Fi was excellent, but of course that only works when you are connected to WiFi. Lastly, I'm also a huge fan of the Nexus phones (mostly for the pure Android experience and rapid upates). I've had the 5, 6 and am currently awaiting delivery of a 6P.
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bc

Don't know much about the project Fi, want to learn more. But this phone is in sale today on ebay. .. https://m.ebay.com/deals?&_trksid=p1...eal=5002284723 said to work well with Fi

I've had a Nexus 5 with T-Mobile for a year and have fairly good coverage in The Villages.

Rexxfan,

Thank you for your input and your personal experience using Google fi. I think I will go ahead and order the Nexus 5X and give this a go.....

Gordy

I hope it works out for you.
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bc

Google Fi gives you unlimited talk and text for a flat $25 a month. Data is $10/GB. You decide when you sign up how much data you need per month (e.g. you might decide that 1GB is enough for you, in which case your total monthly bill will be $35, plus a bit more for taxes and fees of course). If you do not use all the data you signed up for in a given month, you get a refund for the unused portion. It uses the Sprint or T-Mobile network whichever one has the best signal for you at any given moment. Handoffs from one carrier to another are done on-the-fly and are supposed to be seamless (i.e. if you are on a call via T-Mobile and you wander in to an area where Sprint is better, the call will hop onto Sprint and you won't lose the connection). It also supports WiFi calling so that if you are on WiFi, your calls go over that instead of the mobile network (and sound great by the way, at least if you have good WiFi). My issue here was I never had a good signal from either Sprint or T-Mobile. It may have worked out OK for me in TV, but it was unusable when I had no WiFi here. Oh and finally, it only works with certain phones so far (specifically the original Google Nexus 6 and the newly announced Nexus 5X and 6P).
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bc

Just wondering if anyone else is using this in The Villages?

Thanks

My T-Mobil hot spot does not connect here (North of 466). It is totally useless. Also when we had Sprint, we needed to go outside to get a connection (poor connect at that).

Just an update to my posting....

I went ahead and purchased a Google Nexus 5X cell phone and placed it on Project Fi

I am very pleased with coverage in our home because all calls go across our WiFi. When I am "out and about" in The Villages coverage is also very good. So if you are having issues with cell phone coverage inside your home you may want to take a good look at Project Fi

Gordy

It is worth noting that T-Mobile also has WiFi calling, so you don't need to be a Fi customer to get it. Also, AT&T recently started offering it, but so far only for recent iPhone models. Verizon just got FCC approval to offer it as well (in the last week or so) so it will be coming soon from them too. AT&T also offers a (expensive) device called a MicroCell that uses your Internet connection to provide cell service inside your home if you have weak coverage. We have one of those in our NY home and it works well enough, but I've a feeling such devices are about to go the way of the dodo as WiFi calling availability expands. I'll be very happy to get rid of the MicroCell once AT&T's WiFi calling expands beyond the limited set of Apple phones it currently supports.
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bc