Google rolls out new US wireless service

Project Fi switches between wifi and cellular networks to curb data use and keep bills low

The service is Google’s first entry into the wireless industry and will only work on their Nexus 6 phones. Photograph: Erin Lubin/Bloomberg News
The service is Google’s first entry into the wireless industry and will only work on their Nexus 6 phones. Photograph: Erin Lubin/Bloomberg News

Google has launched a new US wireless service – Project Fi – that switches between wifi and cellular networks to curb data use and keep phone bills low.

The service, Google's first entry into the wireless industry, will work only on the company's Nexus 6 phones and will be hosted through Sprint Corp and T-Mobile's networks, Google said in a statement.

Project Fi will automatically switch between the two networks and more than 1 million open, free wifi spots, depending on which signal is strongest.

It will be available on only one device and has limited carrier coverage, so it will not make Google a major wireless industry player, said Brian Blau, research director at Gartner.

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– (Reuters)