Project Fi early access currently limited to consumer accounts

[dusoccer10]

Because of isn't cost effective, they make a phone and lock it to Carrier via contact. There is no need to spend money on the extra radios.

Posted via the Android Central App

Except that's not how radios work in a phone. There are not multiple radios in a phone to support multiple carriers. There is a single radio that is geared towards multiple bands that cover multiple carriers. The Nexus 6 has only one radio that supports all the major wireless companies in the US.

It's got nothing to do with cost effectiveness and everything to do with carrier control. Wireless carriers do not want to become dumb-pipes. If every phone was released with all US bands in it, why would people purchase them from a carrier? Sure, lots of people would because they do not want to spend a lot of money upfront, but this would truly relegate carriers to just providing services.

Only a few companies could potentially have enough clout to go this route...Apple, Google, and probably Samsung. Even then, I'm still shocked that Google was the first to do this. Look at the issues Apple had with its Apple SIM in the new iPads for an example of how difficult this process really is.

 

[Crashdamage]

The Nexus 5 is capable. It meets all the obvious criteria. Compatible with T-Mobile and Sprint, dual-band WiFi w/ac, Android 5.1 and the hardware should be up to the challenge.

The N5 has been out a while, but it would still be nice to see it get access to Project Fi. And that would instantly add a lot of potential customers to the Fi user base.

Android since v1.0. Linux user since 2001.

 

[Crashdamage]

Fi is almost here! My wife's Nexus 6 auto-installed a utility called Google Connectivity Services. And the Project Fi app is up to the Play store, which of course I dutifully installed.

But...still no invitation. I'm sure her application had to be an early one. Plus, we're in Kansas City, the first Google Fiber town (and we have GF + TV), hometown of Sprint, and with very good T-Mobile coverage. I'm even in the Google Fiber Trusted Testers. Gotta think she will be one of the first invited.

But not yet...

Android since v1.0. Linux user since 2001.