Caxton, you are missing an important point:
ALL the 3G systems quote BURST data rates. That is the data rate available to ONE USER in the ENTIRE CELLULAR FOOTPRINT, if he is the ONLY ONE using the ENTIRE CHANNEL.
Metricom also has a burst rate of up to 1 Mbps, but they quote you the honest data rate that ALL users can receive SIMULTANEOUSLY.
If you had one hundred users trying to download at the same time within a typical cell using 3G, you'd be lucky to get even 10 kbps. Conversely, within that size footprint there are anywhere from 15 to 150 microcells of the Ricochet system, and if all 100 users were distributed uniformly within the full cell (assuming 1.5mile radius circle, I'm being generous to the cell guys, making it small that way), ALL 100 USERS could receive the 128kbps SIMULTANEOUSLY.
Do you get it yet?
I'm not even factoring in the speed upgrade that will conceiveably TRIPLE the download speeds for the Ricochet system next year.
No, there is no data system even being dreamt of being deployed by the cellular carriers that would offer a service truly competitive with Ricochet.
I'm not saying that HDR isn't good for something. It's fine for text email, getting a single stock quote, etc.
But with Ricochet, a user can sit in Central Park in Manhattan TODAY and run a full streaming level II quote system, trade, download news WEB PAGES, etc. All this for a flat rate of $70/mo, and throw out their current ISP service and disconnect the extra phone line at home. |
