Google has a new service that might actually make you want a home phone.
The search giant is bringing aspects of Google Voice—a service that introduced email-like features to cell phones—to the home phone.
The new service is called Fiber Phone, and it’s powered by Google’s fiber internet service. Like Google Voice, Fiber Phone will transcribe voicemails into text, let users answer incoming calls on landlines and mobile devices, and offer free local and nationwide calls and low rates for international calls. The service will cost $10 a month.
Fiber Phone will require special equipment and a subscription to Google’s fiber internet plan, which only has limited availability. The service will start in a few areas and roll out gradually, but a Google representative declined to say which cities it will launch in first or the timeline for its deployment. Potential customers can indicate their interest in Fiber Phone by filling out a form online.