Google Fi for International Travelers
Our experience traveling internationally using Google Fi.
We decided to switch to Google Fi from Verizon after hearing how great Google Fi was for international travelers. We are United States citizens but this past year we spent the majority of our time traveling/working in the Caribbean. Instead of signing up for a plan with one of the Caribbean services (such as Digicel) and keeping our Verizon plan (so we didn’t lose our phone numbers) we wanted to give Google Fi a try to see if their international plan was as good as it sounds.
Price/Plans
Our primary requirement for any phone service is high speed data and lots of it. We run an online business and need to make sure we have enough fast data that will enable us to work.
The price structure of Google Fi’s freedom plan in $20 for unlimited calls & texts plus $10 per GB. Their selling factor is that your bill is capped after you hit 6 GB so you will never pay more than $80 (plus taxes, fees, and any international calls/texts) for one line.
The caveat is that your data is slowed after 15 GB each month and any international calls placed when you are outside the U.S are $0.20/minute. If you are calling internationally from the U.S. those rates can be found here.
We gave this plan a go with two lines and the data honestly was really fast. Even after we hit 15 GB the throttled data was usable. On our Verizon plan once we hit our max data the speeds were so slow that it was useless. With Google Fi, we cannot upload or download videos once we hit 15 GB but we can FaceTime and post to Instagram and Facebook with a little bit of patience. Very impressive.
About a month after us signing up for the freedom plan, Google Fi came out with an unlimited plan. This plan is $50 per device (plus taxes, fees, and any international calls/texts). The new unlimited plan did not throttle speeds until 22 GB. We opted to switch from the freedom plan to the unlimited plan and add an additional sim. This gave us 66 GB of data for $150 (plus taxes, fees, and any international calls/texts). The speeds were fast and we were able to upload our Youtube videos, download pictures to our website, and much much more. The switch to the unlimited plan was definitely worth it.
Customer Service
That all sounds great right? Well, one thing we were way less than pleased with was the customer service. I must have spent hours on the phone with different customer service representatives trying to set everything up and I never once got the same answer. It just seemed like no one was on the same page.
One of the questions I had originally was if our phone was a U.S number and we called another U.S. number would we be charged the international fee. I had confirmed that we would NOT be charged with about three different employees. Low and behold when our first bill arrived we were shocked. Needless to say the employees I talked to were very wrong and the only compensation they offered was a $10 credit (for over $130 in calls to our families).
Another issue we had was with a data-only sim. On their website, they state that every device on a plan is eligible for a data-only sim for a tablet or iPad. I called again to get more information. I was told that once you order (free) a data-only sim you can get an additional 22 GB for free. Sounds too good to be true right? I went through the process of having the card shipped and setting it up only to find out that it is not an additional 22 GB of data. The data only sim card uses the data from whichever number you pair it with. I called yet again to let them know that they were mistaken and to hopefully get in contact with a higher up only to be told everyone in management was very busy and they would call me back. A week and a half later I finally got my call back.
With any product or service, we think customer service can make or break a deal. In this case, we have not found a better option so we are still using Google Fi. As long as you do not need any questions answered or have any issue taken care of I would highly recommend it.
Location
So far, we have used Google Fi in the United States ( Florida and New York), Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Martinique, Dominica, and Guadeloupe. The only places we have had issues are the French islands, Martinique and Guadeloupe. In Martinique, our devices showed we had a 3G signal but the service was useless. After doing a bit more research, Google Fi’s website shows that Martinique is covered in their network but when you click on the coverage map Martinique displays a no coverage symbol (Very ODD). In Guadeloupe, we could connect to the F-Orange network and had great service (LTE) however our hotspot would not work. Everywhere else we have had excellent service.
Google fi works by using the towers that are already in place. In the Caribbean we are connected to the Digicel, Flow, or F-Orange network. In the United States Google Fi uses networks operated by Sprint, T-Mobile, and U.S. Cellular.
Recommendations
If you plan to use Google Fi make sure to set up your plan while still in the United States.
If you need any assistance internationally call 1-404-978-8610 (international rates may apply). The support number that you find on the app does not work when you are abroad (at least in our case).
If you plan to bring your phone from your old carrier make sure it is unlocked and compatible with Goggle Fi.
If you do not plan to use a Google phone beware that some features may not be available to you. According to Google Fi’s Website, if you are using an iPhone you won’t be able to make calls or text over Wi-Fi, use visual voicemail, or use data hotspot outside the US. In our experience, facetime and iMessage work and our hotspot has been working internationally everywhere but Guadeloupe so far.
We have heard of people who had their plan canceled for being out of the United States for extended periods of time. One family said they got a notice after five months and another family after 11 months. To solve the issue one family made a quick visit back to the states and was good to go. The other family shipped their phones back to a relative who used the phones for a few days before shipping them back to the Caribbean.
Final Thoughts
After using Google Fi for 6 months we are highly impressed with everything besides the customer service. We would recommend Google Fi for international travelers and if you are interested in making the switch feel free to use our recommendation link for a $20 credit on your bill after your first month 🙂 We get a $20 commission towards our own bill for referring you.
If you are planning on traveling to the Bahamas you can find out more info on how we get internet in the Bahamas here.
Do you know any travelers who may be interested in this? Please give this article a share😊
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Thanks so much for reading!
Sierra
Thanks for the very comprehensive review. We too are working cruisers and the ability to connect in is important to us. We’ve done lots of research, spoken to lots of people and there’s really never a clear cut answer for what’s optimal. Currently we use a local Sim. We know too many people who have been cut off from their American plans, including Fi, which is why we haven’t switched over. I’m forever on a quest to find the right solution! Safe travels!
Thanks for this review. I had thought that Fi would make sense while cruising, but have no practical experience. I have been a Google Fi user for several years, but I am not cruising (yet). I am also going to look into Starlink (the satellite internet system from SpaceX) when it goes live.
We also use Google FI. I did have it shipped to a family member and she took the time and set it up and then another cruiser brought it to me in Grenada. (We cruiser stick together). I have had excellent service. I use what’s app and Google Hangouts to make phone calls. If making phone calls to the USA I use Google Hangouts there is never a charge and the connection is the best. I did have a Google FI service rep tell me about Google Hangouts and it’s a free app.
Hope this helps.
Rene Spires
I am researching internet options for Grenada because my wife and I are cruisers and work with schools using video conferencing. Do you get 4g LTE service in some of the anchorages in Grenada using Google Fi? Do you know if it is fast enough to use Zoom or similar video conferencing? Do you use Google Hangout or Facetime with video?
Thanks for any info like specific anchorages that get a really strong signal or other info that could help us determine if we will be able to work with schools using Zoom from our boat.
Thanks!
Dave
Do you recommend it as a cheaper replacement for Verizon service in Florida., with no intention of international travel?
For those interested with newer iPhones you can now activate Google Fi on the iPhone’s eSIM and not have to worry about having a physical SIM card shipped. This has worked well for us and we just pause the service when not needed to try and help with the out of country suspension issue when in one country for an extended period and buy a local SIM for those months.