LOS GATOS, Calif.-Metricom Inc. has launched its Ricochet wireless communications network and will offer its Ricochet Wireless Modem and Internet service in Seattle, the Sea Tac airport and several surrounding communities.
Metricom said the network uses spread-spectrum, packet radio technology and Metricom’s frequency-hopping mesh architecture to transmit wireless signals to the Internet and dial-up services. Small radio receivers, or microcells, are mounted to street lights and utility poles throughout the network. The Richochet modems are the size of a TV remote control, and send and receive data at speeds of up to 28.8 kilobits per second.
The modem attaches to the serial port of a laptop computer, desktop computer or a personal digital assistant and is compatible with most hardware platforms and communications software, said Metricom.
The company said Seattle is the second U.S. metropolitan area to offer the service. San Francisco was the first.
PNI inaugurates Control Center #4
ATLANTA-Preferred Networks Inc. announced it has completed construction and has begun operating its Midwest Technical Control Center in Wheeling, Ill.
The new TCC, the fourth of 10 TCCs that PNI plans to build throughout the United States, will provide service to Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri and Minnesota.
PNI’s four TCCs currently serve the Midwest, East Coast and Southeast, and the company is selecting network sites in Seattle, Denver and San Francisco. PNI said its regional TCCs allow it to centrally control multiple local paging networks.
Harris switching
for Go Wireless
MELBOURNE, Fla.-Go Wireless International and Harris Corp. announced a commercial relationship in which Harris will provide telephone switching equipment for Go Wireless’ prepaid cellular phone service.
Harris has made an equity investment in Go Wireless and will provide additional resources to help expand the market for prepaid cellular service nationwide and internationally, said the companies.
Go Wireless offers prepaid cellular service in central and southern Florida. The company said it plans to expand service in Atlanta, Houston, California and New York.
