Google Fi is a mobile phone and internet access service offered by Google. The solution is exclusively intended for residents of the United States and is aimed at individuals and businesses. It is distinguished by many innovative advantages designed to meet digital nomads’ needs.
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Google Fi’s strengths
- An American phone number is essential for authenticating to your personal or company bank account in the United States. It is much more functional than a virtual phone number, as Sonetel offers.
- Internet access is available in more than 200 countries. Whether you are in France, China, or Afghanistan, you will have access to the Internet on your mobile phone as soon as you arrive at the airport. Note that in many countries, taking a local plan quickly will be preferable, but at the beginning of the stay, this can help out.
- Other services include the integrated VPN, phone purchases, and a subscription to YouTube Premium.
To learn more about coverage, click here:
It is important to note that the Google network covers Russia, Belarus, and Afghanistan. However, the services are inaccessible in Cuba, North Korea, or Iran (too bad Iran is a magnificent country to discover).
How do you get and especially activate Google Fi?
To acquire the Google Fi solution, you must meet four conditions:
- Order the card via Google services,
- Pay with an American bank card,
- Have a delivery and billing address in the USA,
- Be able to activate the SIM card on US territory.
It is generally the fourth point that poses a problem. I took advantage of a bus trip to Canada to visit the United States. My SIM card was activated about twenty kilometers from the US border.
Another advantage is that having a foreign phone number helps protect your privacy and bypass government censorship, such as that of Telegram.
Why use Google’s solution?
Google Fi is a perfect solution on a technical level, but it can be much more expensive than a local SIM card or an international plan like that of “Free Mobile.” Four other use cases where Google’s solution is essential:
- You have a company in the USA (LLC), but you live abroad, Google Fi will allow you to authenticate your banking access by receiving an SMS,
- You have a personal bank account in the USA, and you live abroad,
- You travel to countries where obtaining a SIM card can be challenging, as is now the case in Russia.
- You are sufficiently financially comfortable, travel a lot, and want a chip with which you are permanently connected.
Be careful; at one time, you could get pre-activated cards on Amazon. For obvious security reasons, we do not recommend this workaround.
How much does Google Fi cost?
The Flexible rate
I have chosen the introductory rate called “Flexible.” It costs $20 monthly, so you must add $4.82 for taxes. Google charges additional traffic at $10 per gigabyte. An example of billing:
To learn more about the rates, click here:
Additional options
Many options are available.
- Adding the Internet to a smartwatch,
- YouTube Premium subscription for 6 months,
- Buying a phone (mainly Google) at preferential prices.
Video Tutorial
Google Fi Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Other articles on administrative, financial, and tax information in the United States (USA)
We are interested in your opinion on the Google Fi solution, the steps to take to obtain it, and the alternative solutions:
Today’s leading alternative to Google Fi is the “Starlink mini” station, which allows you to obtain satellite internet worldwide. Let us know what you think in the comments. THANK YOU.
