Google launches group plans for its Project Fi

Google has introduced group plans for its wireless service, Project Fi, in a bid to make it at par with other standard cell services.

Project Fi’s group plan lets you add up to five additional lines for $15/month each. That’s a $5 cheaper from the $20 base price one pays for a Project Fi account. The rate for data remains $10 per GB, and Google will still issue refunds for unused data.

Notably, Google doesn’t restrict its plan to family alone. It clearly notes that you can add “friends from college or your family.” You can also easily add new users or drop them.

The plans also include safeguards to keep your data usage under control. You can set different alerts and caps for your group members - so if you only want your kids using 2GB of data a month, it'll shut them down after that point.

With the launch of the new Pixel phones, Google has removed the Nexus 6P and 5X from its main online store. That seemingly leaves pricey Pixel and Pixel XL as your only options for using Project Fi if you don’t have one of those cheaper phones already.

But fret not. You can still buy them if you sign up for Project Fi — and you can even get them on Google’s new interest-free installment plans, too. The 6P is currently available with a $100 discount and the 5X is $150 off.

Project Fi, launched last year on an invite system for Google’s Nexus phones, became widely available starting in March of this year. It works as a virtual network, borrowing the coverage of T-Mobile, Sprint, US Cellular, and international provider Three to provide internet access for mobile users.