Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Ricochet: No Rush In Software Deployment

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 20 Nov 2002 01:34:05 -0500

Ricochet: No Rush In Software Deployment
BY KAREN BROWN
NOVEMBER 18, 2002
WIRELESS WEEK

For Ricochet Networks, speed isn't the only thing to drive its resurrected wireless
Internet service.

As the Aerie Networks subsidiary readies to launch service in a second market
later this month, it also has in its possession a software upgrade capable of
doubling the throughput for its wireless Internet service. But despite the looming
prospect of 3G cellular network upgrades in the United States, there is no hurry
to deploy it, according to John Dee, vice president of sales and product
marketing at Ricochet.

The bandwidth doubling software was part of the technology Aerie Networks
salvaged from failed Metricom last year. "We need to do a little bit more work on
it to get it tested and to put it out," Dee said. "But we have chosen to focus
elsewhere, because we don't see the speed as the driving issue for us right now.
We want to get out and position ourselves in the market as an access play that
has portability."

That includes the rollout in San Diego later this month, likely to be followed by
Dallas in the near future, Dee said.

Compared to 2.5 and 3G networks marketing service in the 40 to 60 kilobits per
second range, Ricochet operates between 128 to 250 kbps, with average speeds
of about 175 kbps and the ability to burst to 400 kbps. So while there may be
rumblings about faster cellular competitors on the horizon, "we don't really feel
the pressure from those," Dee said.

"We look at Ricochet as a very adaptable technology," Dee added.

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