Ricochet, the 128Kbps wireless technology from Metricom, is now providing high-speed mobile access in Los Angeles.
Stretching from the Ventura county line down the coast to Newport Beach and beyond Riverside to the east, the Los Angeles footprint represents the largest market in the nationwide Ricochet network and marks the first commercial market launch of Ricochet in 2001.
Ricochet offers the advantage of 128kbps access with true wireless mobility, allowing users the freedom to work outside the confines of the office but with the full capabilities of a desktop experience, according to Glen Estell, president and COO of Metricom. With the addition of the LA market, mobile professionals can take advantage of Ricochet high-speed access from anywhere within the national coverage footprint, which now includes 15 service areas: Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.
“Clearly the launch of the Los Angeles market as the first service area activation in 2001 makes a strong statement for Ricochet and the benefits it has to offer,” said Estell, in a press announcement. “The demand for high-speed wireless access to every kind of data anytime, anywhere is perhaps no further evident than in L.A., where the culture requires people to be mobile yet always have a finger on the pulse of what’s going on. By bringing Ricochet to such a large, diverse metropolitan area, millions of people can now experience an entirely new way of staying connected to information wherever and whenever they need it.”
The initial footprint in the Los Angeles area will cover a population of approximately 10 million people, including cities such as LA (including downtown), Burbank, Hollywood, Pasadena, Torrance, and most of Orange County. Currently, the greater Los Angeles area has over 140 communities with Ricochet coverage, including Cerritos. As with all service areas, the Ricochet network in Los Angeles will continue to build out. You can keep up with progress at the Ricochet Web site.
Ricochet is available through Ricochet authorized service providers, including GoAmerica, Juno Online, and Wireless WebConnect. Information about availability through these providers can be found online.
In December, Novatel Wireless announced Merlin for Ricochet, a Type II PCMCIA card for accessing Ricochet via PowerBooks. Merlin for Ricochet fits in the Type II slot of laptops and CE devices, providing wireless e-mail, Internet and corporate LAN access through laptops or handheld personal computers wherever Ricochet service is available.