Hello sherpaj,
Thank you for your question.
I searched for [sprint vs ricochet] and found some targeted
information:
San Diego Wire-Free Internet
http://www.sdwirefree.com/faqs/comparisons.html
RICOCHET VS. CELLULAR PHONE INTERNET ACCESS
"Ricochet is both faster and less expensive than the wireless Internet
access service offered by cellular phone companies. Cellular phone
networks are slower than Ricochet and support data transfer at 30-70
kbps (compared to Ricochet at 176 kbps). Speeds greater than 64 kbps
are recommended for most LAN applications and full media Internet
access. Sprint®, Verizon®, Voicestream®, Cingular® and AT&T® offer
data transmission network services that piggyback on their PCS network
using GPRS, CDMA 2000 (2.5 generation) and 3G 1XRTT (third generation)
technologies. Some of these technologies are also compatible with GSM
phone networks. Internet access is available from a dual mode cellular
phone that switches between a mix of analog and digital types of
wireless service. As an add-on, Internet access competes for
transmission space on the network with other cellular phone users.
Cell phone Internet access plans are available beginning at $99 per
month plus a voice calling plan of $35 or more per month (compared to
Ricochet at $44.95 per month)..."
I then searched for reviews of both systems:
["sprint wireless internet" review]
CNET News
http://news.com.com/2100-1033-267604.html?legacy=cnet
"Sprint's wireless Net struggles to keep pace
By John Borland
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
May 31, 2001, 10:40 AM PT
Last weekend, San Jose, Calif., resident Joe Curcio began tracking how
often his Sprint wireless Internet connection actually worked. The
results were distressing: The service was sporadically down for a
total of 8 hours each day.
Curcio is one of a growing, increasingly vocal group of Sprint
customers around the country complaining that the company's high-speed
wireless Internet connections aren't working as promised and that
Sprint hasn't followed through on repeated promises to fix
problems..."
[Ricochet review]
A Review of the Ricochet Wireless Internet Service
http://www.wherry.com/gadgets/ricochet/
IMPORTANT NOTE: Ricochet service is no longer available in the form in
which it's described here. Metricom, Ricochet's parent company, went
bankrupt a while back. Since then, Aerie Networks has bought the
Ricochet infrastructure and is attempting to restart it/roll it out in
select markets. Currently it's only available in Denver. The new
network is supposed to be quite a bit faster (128Kbit/s), but it's
unclear whether there remains a market for this service.
"For the past several months, I've been using a Ricochet wireless
modem with my laptop computer for Internet access. The short summary?
It's one awfully interesting gadget...
...I'm hard-pressed to come up with problems with the service, but
I'll try..."
and...
ABC News.com
http://more.abcnews.go.com/sections/tech/DailyNews/ricochet001026.html
"Speed Kills the Competition
Review: Highspeed Wireless With Ricochet
The Ricochet modem piggybacks on your laptop, providing wireless
Internet access in nine major cities. (ABCNEWS.com)
Review
By Sascha Segan
N E W Y O R K, Oct. 26 - For true high-speed mobile Internet right
now, you’ve got to try Ricochet.
About the size of a pack of cigarettes, the Ricochet modem
attaches to your laptop and is designed to access the Internet at
speeds of 128 kilobits/second - that’s about double the rate of a
conventional modem...
...In tests in New York, Ricochet lived up to its promises.
Installation was quick and painless - plug the modem into a laptop’s
modem port and stick it on to the back of the computer with the
optional Velcro strips. Data transfer rates hit 14 kilobytes/second,
triple the speed of a 56k modem."
Infinisource
http://www.infinisource.com/features/ricochet2.html
"Ricochet Wireless Internet Service Resurrected
Ricochet appears to have a promising future providing national
wireless service coverage.
March 14, 2002
Owners of Ricochet proprietary modems, also marketed under the brand
names of Merlin and AirCard, can think about dusting them off and
using them again as Ricochet attempts to resurrect itself.
Ricochet, under its previous management by Metricom, seemed assured a
promising future providing national wireless service coverage without
the excessive accompanying expense that other wireless competitors had
to endure..."
Computerworld
http://www.computerworld.com/mobiletopics/mobile/story/0,10801,60249,00.html
"Ricochet Wireless Faster Than Advertised
But availability is limited, say users
By BOB BREWIN
MAY 07, 2001
In an era of endless techno-hype, the high-speed Ricochet mobile
wireless service from Metricom Inc. stands out for delivering more
than it promises, according to users. But those same users are
frustrated because its availability is limited to only 15 U.S.
markets.
San Jose-based Metricom promises a connection speed of 128K bit/sec.
in all but two of its markets-Seattle and metropolitan Washington, the
company's original service areas. Those two markets, offering 28.8K
bit/sec., have upgrades planned, but those have yet to be scheduled.
However, users in the other areas told Computerworld last week that
they routinely connect at about twice the promised 128K bit/sec. data
rate..."
Wireless Review
http://www.wirelessreview.com/ar/wireless_speed_kill/
"Speed Can Kill
By Rhonda L. Wickham, Editor-in-Chief
Wireless Review, Aug 15, 2001
This month, Metricom and its Richochet service filed for Chapter 11
bankruptcy. When Metricom launched its Ricochet service, it was dubbed
the country's fastest mobile wireless network and hailed as a model of
what wireless data should be like. It bragged of 128kb/s data rates,
something other wireless networks couldn't hope to achieve until
months, maybe years, later...
At the time, Ricochet's performance made Sprint PCS' wireless Internet
service sort of, well, ho-hum. It backfired because Metricom saw speed
as the silver bullet. This strategy actually ricocheted off of a few
key fundamentals. First, customers want speed, but they also want
functionality and sexiness. In the Sprint PCS-Metricom example, the
Sprint phone may have been slower, but it wasn't a laptop...
So, you will find limited reviews on the recently revived Ricochet,
but previous users of the system seemed to have only good things to
say.
You will find one current discussion at Broadband Reports
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/23743
Ricochet Hits San Diego
Service slowly regaining footprint
"Any Users?
Does anyone actually use this anymore? I know it was kind of a
consumer favorite when Metricom was in charge. I'm curious if people
are enjoying the new service?
Re: Any Users?
Yes, I have been using it all week. I have 1/2 dozen of my clients on
it already and I am waiting for more modems for others. I am getting
around 200k from spring valley to downtown. worked while I was driving
around also. I was told by another consultant it works all the way up
to escondido."
Yet another user disagrees:
"Hello people,
I'm one of the ricochet wireless subscriber. Don't be fooled the
other's review. They said, that they are getting great signal in
downtown san diego. That's a big lie. I was few days ago, I took my
laptop around downtown san diego, and there's only few spot that gives
me a good signal. the rest are either poor, bad and fair. And some
say, that they are getting a good signal all the way down to
escondido. That's another lie. Once you get to mira mesa blvd. The
signal will fade and go away. When you get to poway. Then you will
recieve a great signal in I 15. Spring Valley has a very poor signal.
as a matter of fact Spring Valley is not even with the coverage open
network. Right at this moment I am using my laptop inside my house but
my signal is poor..."
So opinions and experiences vary.
A Sprint discussion can be found here at Broadband Reports:
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/20753
"Sprint's 3G Network Goes Live - First coast to coast 3G network
Long after their competitors had released their own high speed
wireless networks, Sprint today officially joined the 3G party,
offering the only coast to coast 3G network to date. Costs for the new
network range from $49.99 to $119.99, depending on the number of
minutes and the volume of data used. The speeds still aren't terribly
impressive, with transmission rates topping out at 144 kbps with
average user speeds of 50-70 kbps...but the speeds are still 2 to 5
times faster than current wireless phones...
Its an interesting discusion on this service.
But, based on what I have read, Ricochet is the superior technolgoy
and provides a faster connection at a reasonable price. With "Grand
Opening" offers, faster speeds and lower costs I would be very tempted
to go this route. For example:
NetHere
http://www.nethere.net/ricochet/
We have three offers to welcome Ricochet back to San Diego.
1. Get a FREE Ricochet modem, a $99.95* value, when you sign up for
6 months of service at $44.95*, while supplies last. Call NetHere at
1 888 NETHERE to get your FREE Ricochet modem today, while supplies
last.
2. Activate your existing Ricochet modem, and get your second month
FREE, a $44.95* value! Offer available only online at
www.ricochet.com.
3. Buy a new Ricochet modem for $99.95* and sign up for monthly
service at $44.95*, with no monthly service contracts or commitments.
Offer available online at www.ricochet.com or from NetHere by calling
1 888 NETHERE.
I trust my research will help you decide on your provider. If a link
above should fail to work or my research require further explanation,
please do post a Request for Clarification.
Regards,
-=clouseau=- |
