• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechGoogle

Google Fi Wireless Service Adds Group Plans

By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 11, 2016, 3:47 PM ET
Nick Fox
In this April 24, 2015 photo, Nick Fox, Vice President for Communications Products at Google, prepares a presentation on Project Fi, in Mountain View, Calif. Project Fi is Google's recently launched attempt to usher in new ways to keep smartphones online while lowering the cost for streaming video, listening to music, getting directions and searching for information. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)Marcio Jose Sanchez — AP

Google finally added group plans to its low cost wireless service Fi, but the pricing may not match the most recent unlimited plans from larger carriers.

Under Google’s new group plans, subscribers can add lines for $15 for unlimited talk and texting, plus $10 per gigabyte for high speed 4G LTE data. An initial line is $20. Subscribers using the service don’t have to pay for a set amount of data in advance and are charged only for the data they actually use.

But since Fi hit the market in April, 2015, larger carriers have increased their data allowances and begun re-introducing unlimited plans. Both T-Mobile and Sprint offer group plans for unlimited data that are much cheaper than Fi for people who people who use at least a moderate amount of data.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

For example, for $140 on T-Mobile (TMUS) or $160 on Sprint (S) customers can get four lines with unlimited data. Customers get reduced quality video streaming with the plans, and those who use more than 23 GB per line on Sprint or 26 GB on T-Mobile can see their data rate slowed. But that’s still allowing customers with four lines to use a total of 92 GB to 104 GB per month of data.

On Fi’s new group plan, $140 for four lines would include less than 8 GB of total data to share. At $160, Fi would give under 10 GB of shared data.

Even Verizon, which don’t offer unlimited plans to most customers, charges less than $10 per GB for many of its group plans. One Verizon (VZ) plan currently being offered costs $160 per month for four lines with 20 GB of data, which would cost $265 on Fi.

That means the Fi group plan wouldn’t make economic sense unless the customers used only small amounts of data per month.

Google (GOOGL) hasn’t said how many subscribers have signed up for Fi, which includes coverage on the wireless networks of T-Mobile, Sprint and US Cellular. The service only offers a few phones, and Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone isn’t among them, although it recently added Google’s two new Pixel phones.

About the Author
By Aaron Pressman
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

InvestingStock
There have been head fakes before, but this time may be different as the latest stock rotation out of AI is just getting started, analysts say
By Jason MaDecember 13, 2025
5 hours ago
Politicsdavid sacks
Can there be competency without conflict in Washington?
By Alyson ShontellDecember 13, 2025
6 hours ago
InnovationRobots
Even in Silicon Valley, skepticism looms over robots, while ‘China has certainly a lot more momentum on humanoids’
By Matt O'Brien and The Associated PressDecember 13, 2025
7 hours ago
Sarandos
Arts & EntertainmentM&A
It’s a sequel, it’s a remake, it’s a reboot: Lawyers grow wistful for old corporate rumbles as Paramount, Netflix fight for Warner
By Nick LichtenbergDecember 13, 2025
12 hours ago
Oracle chairman of the board and chief technology officer Larry Ellison delivers a keynote address during the 2019 Oracle OpenWorld on September 16, 2019 in San Francisco, California.
AIOracle
Oracle’s collapsing stock shows the AI boom is running into two hard limits: physics and debt markets
By Eva RoytburgDecember 13, 2025
13 hours ago
robots
InnovationRobots
‘The question is really just how long it will take’: Over 2,000 gather at Humanoids Summit to meet the robots who may take their jobs someday
By Matt O'Brien and The Associated PressDecember 12, 2025
1 day ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Tariffs are taxes and they were used to finance the federal government until the 1913 income tax. A top economist breaks it down
By Kent JonesDecember 12, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Apple cofounder Ronald Wayne sold his 10% stake for $800 in 1976—today it’d be worth up to $400 billion
By Preston ForeDecember 12, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
40% of Stanford undergrads receive disability accommodations—but it’s become a college-wide phenomenon as Gen Z try to succeed in the current climate
By Preston ForeDecember 12, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
The Fed just ‘Trump-proofed’ itself with a unanimous move to preempt a potential leadership shake-up
By Jason MaDecember 12, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
For the first time since Trump’s tariff rollout, import tax revenue has fallen, threatening his lofty plans to slash the $38 trillion national debt
By Sasha RogelbergDecember 12, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Apple CEO Tim Cook out-earns the average American’s salary in just 7 hours—to put that into context, he could buy a new $439,000 home in just 2 days
By Emma BurleighDecember 12, 2025
1 day ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.