maximoto
3/22/2017 11:50 EST
I am just wondering if there are any Colombian Expats that have experimented with Google's Project FI cell service? It advertises that it can be used in 135 countries with no need to get a local sims card. I have looked for video reviews, but they are mostly all for domestic US use. The reviews I have seen for the US have been very good.
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SunsetSteve
3/22/2017 15:01 EST
Personally I have learned to be leery of wonderful Google apps. It seems the more useful they are, the sooner Google drops them, leaving you scrambling for a replacement. Examples include google telephone app, and google desktop. I don't know why they keep doing that.
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joemindwarp
3/22/2017 17:38 EST
no idea about FI Google,
I am a Yuge fan of Whatsapp on my smartphone and magicjack to call stateside and Canada on my computer
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maximoto
3/22/2017 19:34 EST
whatsapp is awesome, better than skype imo. Project FI is a service designed to replace your existing cell phone provider here in the states for cheaper ($20 per month and $10 per GB of data) and markets that an added convenience is it will work in 135 countries as if you were in the US. Videos on youtube rate it highly, however I haven't seen any reviews on the international front. Supposed to work in conjunction with partnered providers as well as wifi.
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regnatarajan
3/22/2017 20:49 EST
I haven't tried FI but I have tried a few other universal SIM solutions that supposedly switch networks as you travel. I've had very little success. Because you don't control the network, you also don't control the experience, and most cellular services here are spotty.
Buying a local prepaid SIM and sticking it in an unlocked phone, on the other hand, works perfectly and just takes a few seconds after you land. I would also recommend checking out the Mobile Recharge Android app which lets you recharge your phone from anywhere.
In Colombia I use Claro and Movistar. Claro is slower of the two for net but for very light usage it's fine. Movistar usually gives me LTE speed where I am about 40 min from Bogotá. Claro just eats away at your prepaid balance as you use the phone which is the way I like it, but the downside is your balance expires if you don't keep topping it up. Movistar makes you buy a plan (weekly, biweekly or monthly) but the prepaid balance doesn't appear to expire. A month costs about 42k pesos with Movistar.
One more minor thing: dual SIM phones are now very cheap. I just bought a Blu R1 HD dual SIM on Amazon for my gf for about $100 USD and it works perfectly with both Claro and Movistar so she's almost never without service. Given the relatively spotty coverage of cellular service in Colombia, I value this additional security.
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maximoto
3/23/2017 12:50 EST
Thanks for the useful information. I have always heard that using a local sim is the best way to go. It would be nice to have a phone and service that works everywhere, but I guess that is wishful thinking.
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akabo
3/23/2017 16:19 EST
@Maximoto,
Don't give up on the project FI. Just because people on this forum have not used it that does not mean it does not work.
Google is not a small company that would lie about a feature like this. According to Google you will have coverage in 135 countries and Colombia is one of them.
Good luck!
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SunsetSteve
3/23/2017 17:27 EST
Maximoto - I get a great deal of comfort in removing my native SIM card. It is a 100% guarantee that my home service cannot possibly nail me with surprise roaming charges. I cannot be charged more than what I have already prepaid, no matter what I do.
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regnatarajan
3/23/2017 21:56 EST
@SunsetSteve: Agreed totally. There's nothing more reassuring than taking my SIM card out before I even board the plane at Pearson in Toronto. Then I know I won't be charged for roaming.
@akabo: Nobody's saying Google is lying. I'm saying neither the tech nor the deal appear to be very good. What's so great about having to buy a $600 phone (you have to pick one of only three supported devices) and then paying 20 cents a minute to talk on the cell network in Colombia? That 20 cents is over and above the $20/mo basic plan, by the way. For $20/mo, I get effectively unlimited use from Claro or Movistar, and I get to choose the network that works best in my area.
One more thing: unless you're just passing through, having a local number is extremely useful. Most Colombians won't call a US or Canadian number, which is what FI will give you. In every way, having a local prepaid SIM is the better option imho.
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akabo
3/24/2017 09:16 EST
@regnatarajan,
As excellent your points may be, they failed to answer OP's simple question :
"I am just wondering if there are any Colombian Expats that have experimented with Google's Project FI cell service?"
A simple answer to this question would be a simple "No, I have not tried it", or "Yes, I have tried, it's great!".
By now, everybody knows about unlocked phones, local carrier sims, etc....
Later,
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Myfisto
3/24/2017 09:41 EST
While I am not an expat here in Colombia, I do travel here to visit my girlfriend. I have been using Project Fi on 2/6 trips here.
Here are my dislikes:
Length of time for the network switch when I get out of airplane mode. Sometimes the switch doesn't happen until I am cleared from customs and waiting for my luggage. Slightly problematic standing there with no service.
Before I discovered SIM swapping I would buy into Verizon's Intl plan which would be 40 bucks for only 100 or 200mb. But the service would connect immediately after exiting airplane mode.
I'm not sure if this was always the case but on the drive from Rio Negro to Medellin there are occasional dead spots with no service. I couldn't just be hyper sensitive because this is only my second time using the service.
Every once in a while I will be on the lower bandwidth (E, H, LTE - E being the lowest) while my girlfriend with be on LTE.
Overall I am happy with the service, it's good to not have to do anything additional, same service no additions. I paid 100 extra on Verizon's Intl plan. I paid maybe 10 bucks on a Claro SIM that lasted about a week (1gb) but I had some issues with the Claro system not registering my phone and not having any service. I had to leave the phone with Claro reps back in May and walk around CC Santa Fe while they figured it out
At least with Fi, I have service right off the plane, although it's a little delayed.
Sorry if this is a bit garbled, but it's my first post
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akabo
3/24/2017 16:41 EST
@Myfisto,
Great job! Your post is the only post relevant to OP's question. I was pretty sure that Google would not falsely advertised a feature like that.
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regnatarajan
3/24/2017 17:05 EST
@akabo, if the only posts you find permissible are direct responses to the OP's question, you might want to consider the fact that none of your own posts in this thread have answered it either. lol.
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maximoto
3/26/2017 08:10 EST
Thanks myfisto!!
My thoughts are that it is still a work in progress and will only improve. (hopefully) What I have read it began with 120 countries, and now it has 135. It also has added another carrier to partner with since inception. I hope it continues to improve. I am 10 months away from retirement and my hope is to travel most of the year post retirement (budget travel of course) mostly So America and Central America. So thanks for the pertinent post.
On an somewhat related note,,, what are the sizes of sim cards in other countries when using local service?
My current android takes the nano. Last time I was south of the border was 2009, so I am behind the curve on technology. Last time there, I used calling cards, payphones, and internet cafes---old school!!
Thanks all!
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regnatarajan
3/26/2017 12:59 EST
Maximoto,
SIM card size is entirely dependent on your phone, not on the service you use. All SIM card sizes are technically capable of working with all networks. Whatever size SIM your phone takes, the local provider will be able to give you a SIM that fits. I recently bought both Claro and Movistar SIMs and they came with adapters for all sizes. Movistar charged 3000 pesos and Claro charged 8000.
What you should be worried about is whether your phone works on the frequency of the provider you choose in South America. In Colombia, almost all the providers work on GSM 850/1900. For LTE, Claro uses Band 7 and Movistar uses Band 4. Tigo uses both. If you try to get a phone that handles those, you should be fine in Colombia, although obviously some phones are simply better than others.
Here are some super useful sites to see if a phone will work in Colombia:
FrequencyCheck.com
WillMyPhoneWork.net
Best,
Reg
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