Google's New Landline: The Fiber Phone

Today Google announces the Fiber Phone, a service that uses your home internet connection to act as a landline (and your mobile device, too). Just like you had when you were a kid, but VoIP. A phone that stays at home. Or it can go with you – whatever you want. The Fiber Phone "lives in the cloud" says Google, and it'll ring at home when you're at home, or in your pocket when you're out of the house.

Fiber Phone is a service – not a device. Fiber Phone users will be paying $10 per month to get both unlimited local calling and nationwide calling. International calls will cost you – but they'll cost you the same as they would if you were using Google Voice. This service runs with Google Fiber – so you'll need to be a part of that if you're going to be a part of this.

SEE: Will Google Fiber get voice services? (Yes, it will)

The Fiber Phone service has call waiting, voicemail*, caller ID, and emergency services (911). *Fiber Phone is able to transcribe voice messages and send the text to you as a text message or an email if you prefer.

You'll also get spam filtering, call screening, and do-not-disturb features.

While Google is showing off a device that looks very much like a landline smartphone today, you're actually going to be getting a "Fiber Phone box" that "works with the phones you already own."

Google is careful to mention (several times throughout their promotional materials sent out today) that the handset you see here is not included.

Google's Fiber Phone service will be launched in what they suggest is "a few areas to start" – those will be in areas already covered by Google Fiber services. Google Fiber Product Manager John Shriver-Blake suggests that they'll be rolling out Fiber Phone as "an option to residential customers in all of our Fiber cities" through the future.

That means the following cities will be covered before the rest of the Unites States:

• Atlanta

• Austin

• Charlotte

• Kansas City

• Nashville

• Provo

• Raleigh-Durham

• Salt Lake City

• San Antonio

"Once we bring the service to your area, you can sign up and get the service through a simple installation process." This service's homepage sits at Fiber.Google.com/Phone/ where they've laid bare a sign-up sheet for more information, as well.