Google on May 5 started to send out invitations to people who expressed interest in Project Fi, a new service designed to provide faster cellular or Wi-Fi connections, The Associated Press reported May 7.

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Project Fi, announced April 22, is the tech giant's first foray into the mobile virtual network operator scene through its partnership with two of the biggest cellular network providers in the United States - T-Mobile and Sprint.

The service is only available to qualified Nexus 6 users in participating locations, starting at $20 a month, which includes unlimited local calls and texts, unlimited international texts and Wi-fi tethering, according to the Project Fi website. 

AP noted that despite the $20 monthly plan, which isn't really the cheapest cellphone plan in the U.S., Project FI subscribers will only be billed a penny for every megabyte of cellular data consumed. Further, unused data for the month will be carried over to the next billing cycle. 

Although Project Fi is only available to U.S. users, the service will users to access cellular coverage in over 120 countries without roaming fees. Participating countries include Australia, China, France, United Kingdom, Japan and Canada.

"We developed new technology that gives you better coverage by intelligently connecting you to the fastest available network at your location whether it's Wi-Fi or one of our two partner LTE networks," Google vice president of communications products, Nick Fox, wrote in a statement.

Project FI's Early Access Program is still open and only Gmail.com users can request for an invitation. Interested users who do not have a Nexus 6 smartphone can order through the Project Fi website.

AP, citing an interview with Fox, said that the mobile service was developed for over two years and is more focused on Android devices.

Project Fi subscribers will also be receiving a SIM card that is able to store 10 different network profiles, allowing users to easily switch to the network with the fastest mobile connection.

However, it has emerged that Google Voice users will have to choose between a new number or porting their existing Google Voice account with Project Fi. The Verge reported that choosing the former option will delete the user's Google Voice number, if any, a provision that has earned ire from loyal fans of Google Voice. 

TagsProject Fi, Google Nexus 6, Sprint, Project Fi, wireless service, Google Voice, Sprint, T-Mobile, nick fox, sim card, WiFi, cellular network