Google is not accepting any new users on its network

May 22, 2015 06:40 GMT  ·  By

Earlier this month, we told you that Google started sending out Project Fi invites to those who had previously requested to be taken on board.

Some of these early adopters have already received their Google SIM card and are said to be quite happy with the services. Others haven’t jumped on board with Google’s mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) from the very beginning, but are now looking to join its ranks.

For them, we now have not so very good news. If you’re one of those people who has requested an invite for Project Fi recently, you probably have received this email from Google telling you that they are trying to balance the need to keep the service top-notch and the goal to further expand the number of subscribers.

In the letter, Google says you will probably need to wait until the middle of summer to get your Project Fi invitation. The search giant also mentions it will soon offer a way for those interested in joining to check on their pending status.

Google can't handle a lot of users on its service, for the moment

So if you were hoping to see an invitation arrive in your inbox, it looks like you need to be patient, as it might take a month or two before you’ll be able to get it.

We have to assume Google will be talking more extensively about Project Fi and its plans related to it during the company’s Google I/O conference, which is scheduled to take place next week.

In the meanwhile, we are taking an opportunity to remind you that Project Fi lets you use an existing Nexus 6 smartphone or purchase a brand new one through the service with a 24-month installment plan ($27 / €25 per month for the 32GB model and $29 / €27 for the 64GB one). Naturally, you can also purchase it contract-free, if that’s your thing.

Project Fi has only one data plan to offer (with no long-term contract requirement). Users pay $20 / €18 per month for “The Fi Basics” pack, on top of which data allowance is added.

The package also allows for unlimited domestic talk and text plus unlimited international texts. There’s a $10 / €9.34 per GB fee for cellular data in the US and abroad.

In case of overuse, you’ll be charged at the same $10 / €9.34 per GB rate, so if you use an extra 300MB, you’ll be charged with an additional $3 / €2.8 to cover the costs.