Google is opening up its Project Fi service to the unwashed masses in the US now that it's dropping the invite-only requirement for users.
After launching Project Fi ten months ago with an invitation-only model, on Monday Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) said anyone in the US could now sign up for the "WiFi first" service.
While the invite-only cachet is now into the wind, you'll still need a Project Fi-approved smartphone or tablet. The service works with Nexus 5X, 6 or 6P smartphones while tablets include Nexus 9, newer iPads and the Galaxy Tab 2.
In order to entice more users to Project Fi, Google is offering Nexus 5X phones for $199, which is about $150 off the retail price.
Project Fi taps into WiFi hotspots from Sprint Corp. (NYSE: S) and T-Mobile US Inc. for its connections, but the service can default over to 4G LTE cellular when its out of reach of access points. (See Google's WiFi-First Mobile Service 'Fi' Is Here.)
Google provided some user metrics on Project Fi. More than 15% of the Project Fi customers have used it abroad while paying the same rate for data that they would have in the US.
— Mike Robuck, editor, Telco Transformation