Google has announced plans to offer its own Wi-Fi-based mobile network
The service, called “Project Fi” will initially only be available for Nexus 6 owners in the US based on an invite only basis.
Built on top of Sprint and T-Mobile’s networks, the service offers no contracts- instead, subscribers pay $20 for unlimited talk/text, and then pay $10 per gig of data.
For example, a 3GB plan would be $30 on top of that $20, coming out to a total of $50.
The move could be a big challenger to the like of as of AT&T and Verizon. The average cost of $10-20/GB for data in the US, could be upwards of $140 per month, per subscriber.
A Wi-Fi First model can relegate cellular networks to simply filling the gaps between hotspots- meaning much lower bills and a big threat to the incumbents.
The service is tied to Google Hangouts, which will allow you to place calls from your number on any Hangouts-enabled tablet or laptop in addition to your phone.