Google Fi Wireless Is Bringing Its 5G Service To 22 New Regions

Thanks to some updates to Google Fi Wireless, Google’s telecommunications service, customers will see some significant coverage and speed enhancements. The biggest news is that Google Fi will now be “travel-ready” with access available in more international destinations, since it’s expanding 5G service to 22 new regions globally including Morocco, Columbia, and many others. Wi-Fi Auto-Connect+ is also expanding to new locations in Europe and Asia. The latter allows Fi customers to access trusted local Wi-Fi networks to offset some mobile data use when available. Knowing the difference between Wi-Fi and wireless internet to understand, so make sure to familiarize yourself where local Wi-Fi might play a role in your wireless coverage.

In a blog post on the service update, Google advertises that the changes help achieve the “most seamless connectivity yet.” Besides the 5G coverage expansion, additional improvements introduce new VPN availability while using Google Fi, seamless setup and support experiences, the expanded Wi-Fi Auto-Connect+ access, and subscriber savings for a limited time. Basically, if you’re a Google Fi customer and you plan to travel anywhere this summer, or in the future, you can expect to see greater coverage opportunities during said trip. And if you’re wondering whether or not unlocked iPhones can use Google Fi Wireless, the answer is yes.

With this expansion, Google Fi Wireless is now available in more than 110 countries, and while that’s simply too many to list here, Google maintains a full list of available areas on its support page. To use this international coverage, you must first have service active in the United States for at least a day. Google says that Terms of Service policy applies to all types of SIM cards, including eSIM and physical SIM. So, before any trip, you’ll want to make sure you have your phone, service, and SIM all activated and in use for a full day via Google Fi’s network. In other words, don’t try to set it all up and activate service after you’ve left the country.

There is a caveat you need to be aware of, especially if you’re planning a long trip, like backpacking for a month through European countries. Google says that “an extended period of [international] use,” which is defined as “typically 50 days,” will result in a usage limits warning and, eventually, data suspensions. These suspensions require the device to return to the U.S. for “at least a week” or up to 30 days depending on the severity of your data infraction. During data suspensions, Google says you’ll still be able to call and text you just cannot use data normally.

Google Fi Wireless is what’s known as a mobile virtual network operator, or MVNO. This a network where the company doesn’t own the wireless hardware or telecoms network, and in Google’s case, it’s one of several cheap phone carriers that use T-Mobile’s network in the U.S. Outside of the U.S., that primary carrier can change between T-Mobile’s network and local providers, although exactly which providers is being switched to is not disclosed. This means that the wireless experience can vary from location to location with different availability, connectivity, and speed options.

Not all of Google Fi’s plans support international data, so you need the Flexible and Unlimited Premium plans if that’s what you’re looking for. Even then, Unlimited Premium comes with international data in Canada and Mexico, but for other countries you’ll need a roaming or compatible eSIM. The good news is that you can use pretty much any phone that works with T-Mobile’s network on Google Fi, you’ll want an unlocked device if you’re bringing one with you, though.