
The company that brought you the world's most beloved search bar is switching things up with the all-new Google Fiber Phone.
Google Fiber promises to bring the fastest internet connection available to consumers to date, but the company has plans that may extend beyond simply providing high speed internet service. According to a report from PC Magazine, Google is working on a new phone service for Fiber users.
Google Fiber subscribers will be able to add one phone number to each device they use, including both smartphones and landlines. Google Voice features will be available as well – users will receive voicemails in their e-mail, and the service will also feature spam filtering, call screening, and even a do-not-disturb mode.
Google Fiber has shown up in a few cities across the country, but it still isn’t universally available. The Fiber Phone service will only be available to users that have signed up for Google’s Fiber Trusted Tester program first, before it is rolled out to all Fiber users.
In an e-mail sent to Fiber users, Google wrote, “Please be aware that testing Google Fiber Phone will require a service visit in which a Fiber team member will come to your home to install a piece of equipment. If you’re selected for this Trusted Tester group, we’ll be actively seeking your feedback – both good and bad – so that we can improve Fiber Phone once we launch it to all of our customers.”
Google also asked Trusted Testers to keep their involvement in the beta-test quiet. “Please remember that the Trusted Tester program gives you early access to features which are not yet available to the public, so please help us keep this confidential.”
The addition of Google Fiber Phone service could solidify the company’s growing stake in the communications industry, adding on to its data and television segments. This would make Google a strong competitor to other providers like Comcast, and could seriously shake up the phone industry in the coming years.
A recent Google blog post describing the company’s latest plans for the Fiber network can be found here.
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