I have a Pixel 6 Pro and I've been on Google Fi for about 7 months.
I currently have the Simply Unlimited plan, but I am planning on switching to the Unlimited Plus plan about a week before my trip to Spain, France, and Italy. I was not planning on getting a separate eSim or anything like that; I was just going to use my phone as it is now.
What kind of data speeds can I expect to get? Google Fi support just says that the speeds will be unrestricted for the first 50GB, but that doesn't actually tell me anything. "Unrestricted" could be 256kbps or it could be 5gbps and I have no way of knowing until I get there.
For all the folks who've been to Western Europe lately, what kinds of speeds were you getting while you were there, assuming you were in or near a medium or large city?
Google Fi has two different kinds of plan, Unlimited and Flexible.
Do they both have the same data rates as if we were in the US (but is also dependent on the country)? For example, if the country allows 4g will both of the plan be 4g or is it like T-mobile where it is just 2g?
Videos
I can't seem to find anywhere on the google fi site what kind of data speeds I can expect when traveling outside the US. Is it full LTE or is it throttled? Any help would be great. Thanks.
I’m a current Verizon unlimited data plan customer and my biggest issue with Verizon is that when I travel abroad their “unlimited day travel pass” massively reduces your data speeds once you’ve reached a certain limit. My girlfriend has AT&T and she does not have this issue - she gets truly unlimited high speed data. I’m curious whether Google Fi offers similar unlimited high speed data abroad. Thanks!
You'll get full speed LTE in most countries with Fi. It's actually a really good plan for travellers because you also don't pay anything extra (there's no day pass at all)
That’s awesome. So the only downside I’m seeing with Fi is that streaming quality over LTE is lower than its competitors?
I couldn’t tel the difference Unlimited Premium vs Standard when it came to international data roaming
Are the data speed abroad both the same for unlimited and flexible? High speed (depending on country) until throttle or is it 128 kbps like T-mobile?
Hi Fi Fam,
We started Google Fi Wireless 10 years ago to bring people wireless connectivity that’s simple and secure. Many of you in r/GoogleFi have been here with us since the beginning. We're thrilled to share this anniversary with you — our supporters and early adopters who have helped shape Fi into what it is today.
To celebrate this milestone, there are a few announcements that we wanted to share. You can learn all about these in the Google Keyword blog, but we’re bringing the TL;DR right here to r/GoogleFi.
New: Our most affordable unlimited plan
Unlimited Essentials, our newest unlimited plan, includes unlimited calls, texts and data, with 30 GB of high-speed data in the U.S. for $35/month for one line.1,2
Big upgrades to our other unlimited plans
Unlimited Standard, previously known as Simply Unlimited, now has 50 GB of high-speed data, up from 35 GB, and 25 GB of high-speed hotspot tethering, up from 5 GB.1,3 All at the same price of $50/month for one line.2
Unlimited Premium, previously Unlimited Plus, now has 100 GB of high-speed data, up from 50 GB, for the same price of $65/month for one line.1,2
Connect tablets and laptops with data-only eSIMs!
You all know and love that Fi offers connectivity for cellular-enabled tablets and laptops at no extra cost with data-only SIMs.4 We’re now broadening access to this feature with data-only eSIMs, which means you can quickly and easily connect newer, eSIM-compatible devices like Android tablets and iPads with data on the go, without needing a physical SIM card.
International 5G coverage is expanding
For users on the Unlimited Premium and Flexible plans, we’re more than doubling our international 5G network by adding 54 countries, and making international 5G available on iPhone in addition to Android phones.5,6
Limited-time promotions for new and existing customers
To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we’re also launching limited-time promotions for new and existing Fi users.
For new customers, we're offering the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel Watch 3 on us.7 Note: This offer is available until April 29, or while supplies last.
For our existing customers, we're showing our appreciation with even deeper instant rebate discounts across all Pixel 9 phones! Check your Fi account for these exclusive offers for our loyal users.
We’re so grateful to all of you who have been a part of the Fi family over the past 10 years, and we can’t wait to see what the next 10 years bring. Cheers to a decade of simple, secure connectivity, and here’s to many more!
- The Google Fi Wireless Team
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1 High-speed data up to 30 GB/person on Unlimited Essentials, 50 GB/person on Unlimited Standard, and 100 GB/person on Unlimited Premium, and 256 kbps after. Video may stream at standard definition (480p).
2 Plus taxes & government fees.
3 Hotspot tethering counts towards your monthly high-speed data usage.
4 Available on Unlimited Premium or Flexible plans. Unlimited Premium: High-speed data for compatible devices up to 50 GB/person, and 256 kbps after. Flexible: High-speed data for compatible devices up to 15 GB/person and 256 kbps after. Data counts towards your monthly high-speed data usage. You can connect up to four devices with data-only SIMs, and you can use the same SIM with multiple devices.
5 5G service not available in all areas; speed and performance depend on factors like device configuration and capabilities, network traffic location, signal strength and signal obstruction. Actual results may vary. For more information visit g.co/fi/broadband-facts.
6 International high-speed data up to 50 GB/person on Unlimited Premium and 15 GB/person on Flexible and 256 kbps after. Data counts towards your monthly high-speed data usage. Not intended for international use over 90 consecutive days. See Help Center for details.
7 Get a discount of $300 at checkout and $699 back over 24 monthly bill credits for purchase of a Google Pixel 9 Pro at fi.google.com (new users only), starting 4/22/25 at 10:00am PT and ending 4/29/25 at 9:59am PT, or while supplies last. After Pixel 9 Pro shipment, you’ll receive an email with a promotional code for Google Pixel Watch 3 to get $100 off instantly and $349 back over 24 monthly bill credits. Promo code must be used at fi.google.com and presented at checkout, and is valid until 5/13/25 at 9:59am PT. Phone and watch activation required within 30 days of shipment confirmation. Bill credits are applied to plan charges (e.g. data, calls, texts), taxes and fees, financing costs, and international charges, and exclude device protection. Unused monthly credit doesn't roll over to the following month. Changing devices before 120 days invalidates instant discount, resulting in charges, and cancellation or pause of Fi plan before 24 months will terminate promotion and bill credits will stop and outstanding financing amounts will be charged to your Google Pay account. Promotions are non-transferable, not valid for cash or cash equivalent. US residents with US shipping addresses only. Must be 18 years or older, with Google Pay and Google Fi Wireless accounts. Limit 1 per customer or group plan member. Taxes payable at checkout. Offer cannot be combined with other offers. Void where prohibited.
I'm interested in Google Fi because of its supposedly seamless international connectivity. But the more I read the more I'm beginning to think that it might not be worth it due to bad customer support from FI.
Which brings up the question, why don't other providers or MVNOs do anything like Google Fi does as far as international data? I know some have the packages and add-ons, but nobody just includes it in their plan the way Google Fi does, just wondering if anybody has thoughts on it
So it says that the coverage works in 170+ countries, but the coverage map only shows the US 4G LTE Networks. I bought Pixel 3s for myself and my fiance who is currently living outside the US until she moves here in the summer. I plan to bring it down with me next time I go, but I'm curious how well the Data works over there. Data is a bit more expensive than the data she is using now in Colombia, and she willbe using 2-sims until she moves anyway to hold onto her Colombian Number. Any Experience? Does it work with the Networks locally, or just Wi-Fi?
Fi worked fine for me in Colombia (Bogota, Cartagena, and San Andres and Providence Islands). LTE in the major cities, HSPA+ in the rural areas.
I've used Fi in Colombia and got LTE everywhere and speeds were screaming fast. Did speed tests often and would regularly get 10-20mbps down when roaming internationally. About 150ms pings.
During the past two weeks, I’ve roamed in 3 countries, 7 cities, and across 4 networks and have not once gone above download speeds of 0.5mb to 1.5mb.
Fi Support aren’t being helpful unfortunately (switch airplane mode on and off etc despite them being told that it’s consistent over the past two weeks and on all lines on my account).
I’m wondering whether Fi have capped roaming speeds now? I’m on unlimited and none of my lines have gone anywhere near 22gb.
Anyone currently roaming and experiencing slow speeds?
I'm in Tokyo and haven't had any problems.
Edit: saw you said you tried different networks so NVM my suggestion.
Ive been visiting Germany and France myself and had to manually change networks. It all depends if the phone supports the carrier bands and their own coverage. For example O2.de got me either 10/3ish or said LTE but didnt load things whereas manually selecting Telekom.de got me 200/50 in the same exact spot! I would see which carrier has best coverage in area you are traveling in and manually select them to see if it improves if the phone can register to their network. Even if phone says Google Fi still it should do the trick.
You could also set LTE ONLY mode on phone so even if a HSDPA or Edge signal (which i get often in Germany) are stronger itll stick to faster network if there is signal ofc.
Hey all,
I currently have the T-Mobile One Plus plan with unlimited voice, text, and data (including mostly unlimited international data). It works fine, but I’m debating whether to switch since Google Fi comes out to about half the price. Plan to use it with my iphone.
Couple of questions I’m hoping folks here can help with:
For those using Google Fi Essentials or Standard plans — how do you purchase international data? Is it included, or do you need an add-on?
Can I switch to a higher Fi plan just for the duration of a trip (usually 1 month max) and then downgrade back afterward?
Appreciate any insights, especially from people who’ve used both T-Mobile One Plus and Google Fi while traveling internationally.
I'm currently on tmobile one plus plan with 4 lines for $160 + 1 additional line free. All lines have unlimited data and text within the USA. But when going International, the speeds are capped at petty 2g.
Looking into project fi. We travel a lot and make 4-5 trips a year. Each trip is around 15-20 days. These trips include Europe, Japan, Hong kong, Taiwan, and etc.
I don't really need 5 lines, so I can do with 3 lines on fi.
My question is, if I max out at 12gb. Starting from the 15gb, the data is throttled. What speed would it be throttled at? Would it be 3g speeds? Could I still load videos (480-720p) on YouTube?
The throttled speed is 256kbps.
T-Mobile does have a $25 add-on (One Plus International) that doubles speed to 256K and includes unlimited in-flight WiFi.
For 15-20 days of travel and 720p video streaming you're really better off buying a local sim. On Fi once you hit 15GB its throttled to 256K or you can continue paying $10/GB.
Buy a $30 "Three UK" sim off Amazon with 12GB, you get full Europe roaming. There are similar options with China Unicom, Softbank, and others.
Sprint offers high-speed passes $5/day or $25/week in most countries.
I switched to the flex plan, my cycle started, and I found out folks in my plan need to travel intentionally. I called Google Fi and they told me there is no way to switch back to international until June, and the only way to get international coverage before the trip is to cancel my Google Fi account and go with another provider. They stated there is no alternative. This seems absolutely bizarre to me, especially considering i was a loyal member since inception of project Fi.
Can people confirm that this is correct?
I currently use Google Fi and enjoy the data access when traveling abroad. Usually the data speeds are great, but sometimes they can be slow. I can't tell if that is because of the countries poor infrastructure or Google Fi not having a better contract with said country.
Ideally I want to be able to travel internationally and be able to get the fastest available speeds the country offers--even if I have to pay extra--without swapping out my SIM card.
Does Google Fi give me access to the data speeds locals would receive, or does it depend on the contract with said country? If the latter, can I buy "packs" like T Mobile offers here to get higher speeds? Does Google list the expected speed in each country so I can plan around blind spots?
Fi doesn't offer "packs", but in my experience, when roaming internationally, manually selecting network usually yield better results. Just try through all the available networks you can found
One possibility is that you’re not connected to lte... possibly because lte roaming is not allowed with that carrier, or possibly because the device doesn’t support the local carriers lte band(s).
Also could be infrastructure, congestion, or lack of high speed roaming agreement.
I believe Fi also has some roaming with Three UK on made for Fi phones. Using the FiSimon dialer code might get you to a different carrier and/or roaming agreement in some European countries???
I am an ex-pat working mainly in Guyana and Dominican Republic. I got an email the other day saying I was losing my international data because I am using way more data outside of the USA than in the USA which is against the TOS. I suppose I can accept this. Are others getting the boot also?
I have actually had great service wherever I go and even excellent customer service. I even bought a bran new pixel 3 as a back up (still in the box). I know you can add a sim card to the pixel. So I am wondering if I can add a local sim card for the data and still receive phone calls to my Fi number?
Cheers!
Traveling to Europe and wants to hear what data speed are like when international. Do you typically get at least lte speeds or better or are they pretty slow
I've used Fi in several countries (UK, France, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Canada, Caribbean) and the speeds have generally been great. Certainly LTE caliber in my opinion. In Italy, especially, my hotel's WiFi was not working well for most of my stay, so I ended up just using data the entire time I was there. At some point I just decided to max out data for the month and hit bill protection, so I made a hotspot for myself and my family to use. Once I hit the data soft cap where throttling started, my wife made a hotspot for us to share and that got us through the rest of the time we were there. We were all able to stream videos and do normal phone stuff with no issues. Once you hit the bill protection level, each person in a family plan can use 15GB before getting throttled. This was in Cinque Terre too, not in a major city like Milan or Rome.
I traveled to Czechia in 2019 and the LTE coverage was great, speed was what you would expect on LTE.
Finished porting out my number from Fi yesterday to Visible, wanted to write up a quick post to commensurate the 9 years I've been with Fi and start a discussion on how much Fi has not kept up with the times.
I signed up for Project Fi back in 2016 when it was still a "quirky" cell phone provider that sometimes send you merch like socks in the mail. You paid $10 per GB, could toggle between different cell phone providers, and never have to deal with walking into a cellphone store like tmobile or at&t.
Look at how RIDICULOUS my bills used to be.And now 9 years later, you can get 10GBs of data from an esim provider like Nomad for $15 versus the $10 per GB Fi still charges you. Although sometimes these esim providers have problems with things like speed and the fact that your IP sometimes shows up as in Singapore or the UK so I ended up trying Visible.
For the past 2 years or so, I've kept my Fi on Flexible and relied solely on Visible or Nomad for data, effectively paying ~$55 total a month. Yesterday I had an epiphany and decided to just port out my number, which only took 10 minutes.
Maybe I will see Fi again in November when a sweet new Pixel deal come out, which I never could get when I stayed loyal.
Current Fi user curious about other services that might offer similar International experience.
We use under 1-2GB of data per month domestically but when traveling internationally, this could spike up to 10GB/mo. I see T-Mobile has a plan for $120/mo (for 2 lines) that has International data but the plan rate is quite a bit higher than my Fi service (our bill is less than $60/mo combined). Mint mobile looks to be cheaper and uses tmo but they quote $0.20/MB ($200/GB) for International data which I feel might be a problem. Also, I don't know if they offer the same wifi-calling discount that Fi does.
In general my International experience with Fi has been quite good except for a case where I lost a phone and Google refused to activate a new phone outside of US borders (not sure if other carriers have the same policy).
In case anyone asks why I'm asking: I plan on switching to an iPhone and due to a history of support issues I'm also considering other carrier options.