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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 08081995 - SD3 TO. BOARD OF SUPERVISORS �.-s ...�. Contra C FROM: Costa Phil Batchelor, County Administrator County g DATE: August 8 1995 r° � f�A'CAW, SUBJECT: License Agreement with Metricom for Wireless Radios SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENOATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATION: APPROVE License Agreement terms and conditions with Metricom, and AUTHORIZE Director of Public Works to execute. BACKGROUND: Earlier this year the Department of Public Works was approached by Metricom, a wireless data communications company, to allow use of county-owned street light poles for installation of radios . In the intervening months, County staff has met with Metricom representatives regarding their proposal and goal to deploy pole- top radios throughout the Bay Area. The system which Metricom proposes to deploy is called "Ricochet. " It is a small, unobtrusive radio device whose radio frequency transmissions are far below any level that would cause environmental or health problems . Metricom would like permission to mount their radios in the unincorporated portions of the County probably starting in the Alamo area. Recently, Metricom has secured agreements with the Cities of Antioch and Walnut Creek, and will be negotiating with others on the I-680 Corridor and in East County. Local jurisdictions are compensated for the use of pole space and the radios are installed and maintained by Metricom with no expense or liability to the County. The agreement is non-exclusive. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X YES SIGNATURE: RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S): ACTION OF BOARD ON AuSt 8, 1995 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE X UNANIMOUS(ABSENT ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN, ATTESTED AUC(ust 8, 1995 Contact: PHIL BATCHELOR,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF CC: SUPERVISORSAND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR BY M DEPUTY 0 1 r -2- The terms and conditions of the license agreement would include the following: 1 . A deposit of $10,000 to cover actual costs of County expenses for inspection, traffic control, processing and administrative costs . 2 . A three-year initial agreement at $60 per pole attachment. 3 . Four renewable terms at three-year intervals with a 10% increases at each renewal . 4 . A surety bond in the amount of $15,000 . 5 . Attachment will be to street light poles and not signal poles . 6 . Effective date will be upon execution by Director of Public Works. Under current policy the Board of Supervisors has delegated to the Public Works Director authority to execute licenses on behalf of the Board. If your agree to this recommendation, an appropriate license agreement with the specific terms listed above and other standard County requirements, will be finalized for execution by the Director of Public Works. Contact: Scott Tandy, CAO (646-4087) Mike Walford, PWD (313-2201) cc: County Administrator Public Works Director Metricom (via CAO) Auditor-Controller County Counsel (D. Schmidt) 4 PIT •tr 1 ►� ' gilt, •� .,� _ 'VV iii �. ..,{, - �? ,rya..' .. E'...r•� .. _r 't� .,a ^x � a. y. 'd'. �stir'. itY t ;. . ` ,..yam• �'t � ,:..d. � ti:�w'c^ y t.$'�",,}.� r, .s - .,y:+t• 4 `T.tom' .y K\`: r . J �T ® 980 University Avenue �jMetricom MetricLos Gatos, CA 95030 THE SURPRISING INVENTORS OF FREQUENCY-HOPPING SPREAD-SPECTRUM TECHNOLOGY Telephone: Fax: 408.3998200 408.354.1024 h Metricom's Ricochet wireless data service achieves its extraordinary combination of features -- low cost, high speed and reliability -- largely through the application of frequency-hopping spread-spectrum radio technology. This is the same technology the military uses to broadcast secure communications, undetected, in the license-free frequency band. This band has many applications, ranging from wireless data.to cordless phones and car alarms. Perhaps the most surprising thing about frequency-hopping spread-spectrum broadcasting is that it was invented (U.S. Patent 2 292 387) not by a team of academic or industry research scientists but by a movie star and a symphony composer. The patent was filed June 10, 1941, by Hedy K. Markey and George Antheil. Hedy Markey (then divorced from screenwriter Gene Markey) is well known as Hedy Lamarr, the stage name given her by Louis B. Mayer after she joined Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer as a contract star. Although not personally threatened by Germany's 1938 invasion of her native Austria (at the time she was married to Friedrich Mandl, a munitions executive friendly to Hitler) she foresaw the evils to come and left permanently for the United States. After settling in the U.S., Lamarr remained deeply concerned about the impending war with Germany. She knew from her earlier association with Mandl that radio-guided weapons such as torpedoes and bombs, and the related problems of interference and jamming, could be important to the war's outcome. She believed that a scheme for transmitting guidance commands in a prearranged, randomized and nonrepeating code to a properly synchronized receiver would be vital to the development of guided weapons that would be effective against German countermeasures. Hedy Lamarr chose the American avant-garde composer Antheil to help her develop the scheme. The choice was not as unusual as it might seem. The system they conceived synchronized radio transmission and reception frequencies by means of identically coded slotted paper rolls like those used in player pianos. Matching the number of piano keys, their system accommodated a frequency-hopping repertoire of eighty-eight radio frequencies. The design derived directly from the composer's experience. He had already achieved such synchronization in Ballet Mecanique, a composition for player pianos completed in the 1920s. While Lamarr and Antheil devised their frequency-hopping spread-spectrum technique to be applicable to the electromechanical systems of the day, apparently it was not used operationally until the mid-60s when it was implemented electronically in anti jamming equipment used by the U.S. Navy. Metricom's Ricochet wireless data service takes advantage of low-cost computer technology to achieve a highly advanced asynchronous frequency-hopping system. Data packets are sent across a mesh-like network of intelligent poletop radios. Data packets are transmitted on randomly selected channels throughout the license-free 902-928 MHz band of radio spectrum. Pacific Coastline Assoc. 4159641876 P. 01 Pacific Coastline Associates Chit*Environmental*Marine*Structural February 27, 1995 T. Rodger Haas Metricom, Inc. 980 University Ave. Los Gatos, CA 95030 RE: Mounting of Radio Brackets PCA#95-01 Dear Mr. Haas: Pacific Coastline Associates researched the design criteria for all of the Caltrans Signal and Lighting Standards as published in the Caltrans Standard Plans. We conclude any Metricom hardware mounting configuration meeting the following design criteria will not adversely effect the Signal and Lighting Standard (pole or foundation) structurally. Design Criteria: Maximum Weight = 10.0 pounds Maximum Area = 1.0 sq. ft. (144 sq. inches) Mounting Location: The highest point on any Caltrans Signal and Lighting Standard, within 18" of the light fixture (15'from centerline of the base). Design Basis: Design Wind Load= 80 mph velocity Soil Pressure = 1800 lbs per sq. ft. lateral Codes Considered: -Uniform Building Code -AASHTO as adopted by Caltrans If there should be any questions regarding our findings, please do not hesitate to call. S' ely ci C Coastline soci to WRe . kley, P.E. i U. IVU. �d81 lrn N . C48161 0V Exp"(. 30 9/ :pjb xr cc: Juhn A. DeRugeris, N.E. METRICOM.DOC 5827 Marshall Street 510 658-7001 Oakland, CA 94608 fax 510 658-7315 March 1 1994 PACIFIC ' COASTLINE ASSOCIATES T. Rodger Haas Metricom, Inc. 980 University Ave. Los Gatos, Ca 95030 Subject: Mounting of Radio Brackets Dear Mr. Haas: After researching the design criteria for all of the Caltrans Signal and Lighting Standards as published in the Caltrans Standard Plans, I conclude any Metricom hardware mounting configuration meeting the following design criteria will not adversely effect the Signal and Lighting Standard (pole or foundation) structurally. Design Criteria: Maximum Weight = 10.0 pounds Maximum Area= 1.0 sq. ft. (144 sq. inches) Mounting Location: The highest point on any Caltrans Signal and Lighting Standard, within 24" of the centerline of the base (measured horizontally). QrQ 1 ESS/O004 ,y9 Design Basis: /��� ES F. ['r E• F Design Wind Load = 50.0 psf (over 100 mph) �cc Design Earthquake= 1.0g horizontal & vertical o. C 34622 i Codes Considered: Jlq C/V I -Uniform Building Code lF OF CAUs�`` -AASHTO as adopted by Caltrans If there should be any questions regarding my professional opinion, please do not hesitate to call. Sincerely, le— Tim Feeney P.E. 229 Polars Avenue,Suite 6 - Mountain View, CA 94043 - 415-9644867 FAX 415-964-1876 FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON,D.C.20551 GRANT OF EQUIPMENT AUTHORIZATION Certification Date of Grant: June 21 , 1994 Metricom Incorporated 980 University Avenue File No.: 31010/EQU 4-3-2 Los Gatos, CA 95030 Application dated: February 10 , 1994 L J Attention: Don Schmidek, Director NOT TRANSFERABLE EOUIPMENT AUTHORIZATION is hereby Issued to the named GRANTEE, and is VALID ONLY for tho aaulwe:nt Identified hereon for jac under the Commission's Rules and Reoul:tions fisted below. FCC IDENTIFIER r .. "tG1�21F00�i K-- t¢¢ ~h- 4c' Name of Grantee � w w Q1r1COlA IIICOIpOrated r �37b7 FCC Rule Parts) : 15 Frequency (MHz) : 902-928 Equipment Class : Spread Spectrum Transmitter Micro Cellular Da-ta=Netwoik`% i Maximum Outputo`e 310-vW This device `iesrofessronal" installationii All• units must remain the property of lstricom and#may-not be marketed `{ . , This gran s sued: subject�`�Lq �e �onditxothat he transmitter covered IL t,. _ ri hereunder o e ki th ,any ea ab ,i 20 ordinate its hopping u�c th t hoppiseque of h r �smitters, or vice W , versa, f pose o v nd� g ttte�' ultaneeo o-c ancy of individual hopping c s by an iL-Lers. �r This dev s -own mp c with"M' ew ule ad to nder Docket 87 9 and s of ed by/ ec 1 '.37 , t sition rule. Mail to: Tom Cokenias, V.P. g %V4 -n Electro Service Co P. 0. Box 128 Belmont, CA 94002 Is In correspondence concerning this grant,please refer FCC 731 me 8315484007'°the FCC IDENTIFIER, File No..and date of grant. October 1991 FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON.O.C.20SSe GRANT OF EQUIPMENT AUTHORIZATION = Certification r- -� Date of Grant: June 21 , 1994 Metricom Incorporated 980 University Avenue F''°"°'' 31010/EQU 4-3-2 Los Gatos, CA 95030 Application dated: March 11 , 1994 L J Attention: Don Schmidek, Director R & QA NOT TRANSFERABLE EQUIPMENT AUTHORIZATION is hereby Issued to the named GRANTEE, and is VALID ONLY for the equipment Identified hereon for use under the Commission's Rules and Reaulalions listed below. FCC IDENTIFIER `.' fr1 {] s. e u ak .rs rar .y'N , v- c ��•x�YT,�GNR21009 4 .'- ^'� 4 --, Y Name of Granter -,� �etiicom incorporated �� � ��l' *`3 eO4 FCC Rule Parts) : 15 Frequency (MHz) : 902-928 Equipment Class : Spread Spectrum Transmitter Maximum Output POWEr 250 m tk r, a MCDN Portable Bad�Z'o ; This device certified"~'purvvian to two different dart 15 rules sections. • ~K V This gran s su,jec - ditif th h transmitter covered hereunder of e e `- n ablQl ordinate its hopping u *Lth tlot hoppin ' ue of ch r mitters, or vice versa, f pose vt ultano C ancy of individual hopping s by U 1 S. This dev' ) s wn mpl ce ew le ad °te nder Docket 87 9 d of ed y ec 1 .37, t sition rule. a13 Mail to: Thomas N Cokenias, P.• E n Electro Service Cor tiAR P. 0. Box 128 0, Belmont, CA 94002 WfMIS In Correspondence concerning this grant,please,refer FCC 731A me 8315727007 to the FCC IDENTIFIER, File No.,and dale of grant. October 1991 z:)) Metricom° V/ etrlcom®R 408.399.8200 980 University Avenue DIRECT Los Gatos, CA 95030 408.399.8167 FAX: Terri Simpson 408.354.5147 Account Executive INTERNET terris@metricoln.com MEMCOM, INC. Background Information March 1995 Press contacts: Sandy Gordon Metricom, Inc. 980 University Avenue Los Gatos, CA 95030 (408) 399-8165 William Orrange Janis Ulevich Ulevich & Orrange, Inc. 459 Hamilton Avenue, Suite 304 Palo Alto, CA 94301 (415) 329-1590 Table of Contents FactSheet...............................................................................Page 3 Industry Overview...........................................................Page 5 Wireless Data Communications Market ..........................Page 5 Utility Market..........................................................Page 6 TheCompany .................................................................Page 6 Metricom's "Roots".........................................................Page 7 Ricochet Networking for the Mass Market............................Page 8 Ricochet Technology ........................................................Page 8 Spread Spectrum...............................................................Page 10 Frequency Hopping ........................................................... Page 11 Speed............................................................................ Page 11 Pricing .......................................................................... Page 12 Metricom Management ......................................................... Page 14 2 FACT SHEET Founding Date: December 1985 Management: Robert P. Dilworth, President and CEO Gary M. Green, Executive VP, Chief Operating Officer LeRoy D. Nosbaum, Executive VP, General Manager, UtiliNet Division Donald F. Wood, Executive VP, General Manager, Ricochet Division Stephens F. Millard, VP, Corporate Development & Co-Founder William D. Swain, Chief Financial Officer Facilities: 66,000 square feet of manufacturing, engineering, marketing and administration located at 980 University Avenue, Los Gatos, California 95030, (408) 399-8200 Network Operations: 16800 Greenspoint Park, Suite 240-N, Houston, Texas 77060, (713) 873-3400 Sales Offices: 915 Pomelo Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34236, (813) 365-4883 51 Deer Point, Hawthorn Woods, IL 60047,(708) 726-1828 1155 King Court, El Cerrito, CA, 94530, (510) 528-7200 Employees: More than 150 Technology: License-free, low-cost, high-performance wireless data communications network. Utilizes advanced spread-spectrum, packet-radio technology which sends digital data across a network of intelligent radio nodes. Services: Ricochet: Wireless data service owned and operated by Metricom to meet the needs of the campus, city or regional environment. Ricochet wireless data networks are used by laptop, portable and PDA users for file transfer, electronic mail and messaging, access to OnLine services (e.g. Internet, America OnLine and eWorld), and data retrieval for management information, among other applications. 3 UtiliNet: Intelligent wireless customer-owned communications network system. Offers telemetry/data retrieval and remote device control for electric and waste water utilities, gas production and transmission companies, and the like to monitor and manage functions in mission-critical environments Sales Channels: Ricochet: subscription service sold direct and through system integrators. UtiliNet: radio products sold direct, through sales representatives and VARs. Partners: Ricochet: Visa International for wireless point-of-sale processing networks; Med-E-Systems to support Wireless Health Information Network for physicians. UtiliNet: More than 20 utility vendors have integrated the UtiliNet protocol into their products and systems. Financial: Metricom is publicly-held, traded over-the-counter on the Nasdaq market under the symbol MCOM. Initial public offering in May 1992 raised $9 million. Private investor Vulcan Ventures, a Paul Allen company, invested $17.5 million in October 1993, $8.2 million in February 1994, and an additional $9.7 million in March 1994. In March 1994 a secondary public offering raised $60.2 million. Simultaneous with the offering, Microsoft Corporation invested $6.2 million. 4 INDUSTRY OVERVIEW Wireless Data Communications Market The ability to access and communicate data efficiently regardless of location is increasingly important to individuals and organizations. Historically, local and wide area data communication needs have been met through wired networks, including public telephone systems. Wired networks, having fixed access points, are often not accessible from mobile or remote locations. In addition, these networks have a costly infrastructure and are expensive to install, expand and maintain. Wireless communications services are emerging as effective data communications solutions where traditional wired networks are neither available, cost-effective nor capable of providing the desired functionality. Demand for wireless communications services is being driven by both individuals and organizations. These portable computer users benefit from mobile wireless data communications services when convenient access to wired networks (through telephone lines or other wired communications media) is unavailable. These users include employees traveling between work locations and home, students and faculty moving within and around a school campus, and mobile professionals traveling within or between metropolitan areas. Portable computer users, like desktop users, want their computers to access corporate networks, electronic mail systems, the Internet and on-line services, such as America OnLine, CompuServe and Prodigy. This market for both mobility and increased portable functionality is growing. There are approximately 33M mobile U.S. workers today. Analysts predict that the number of wireless data communications users will increase to 13 million by the year 2000*. The market for portable computers with e-mail capability, the primary platform for wireless data communications, is expected to increase to 13 million in 1997, up from 1.5 million in 1994*. (*Booz Allen and Hamilton. *IDC) To date, the number of wide area wireless data network users has been limited due to the high cost, low data rates and limited functionality of wireless networks. 5 Existing wireless networks generally employ a star topology, requiring transmission of data through central base stations that are expensive and difficult to install and expand, and typically operate over narrow radio channels, which limits service data rates. Furthermore, many of these networks use proprietary interfaces, requiring custom applications development limiting their ease of use. Metricom believes that a significant market opportunity exists for wireless data communications networks that can provide faster, more functional data transmission at an affordable cost. Utility and Electric Power Market Industries like electric power distribution, wastewater, and natural gas have historically used wired and wireless communication systems for monitoring and control of their processes and functions. In recent years, the need for greater efficiencies has given rise to expansion of communication systems to a larger number of locations, many of them being quite remote. Conventional communications options, however, have limitations. Wired communication systems are expensive and in many places simply not available. Traditional licensed wireless communication systems suffer from lack of available licenses.and very high cost when licenses are available. UtiliNet on the other hand, provides low cost, easily installed, license-free communication capability for these industries for new projects, project expansion and change out of obsolete equipment. The Company Metricom is a leader in wide area wireless data communication networks. To date, the Company has developed two commercial implementations of its network technology, UtiliNet and Ricochet. This network technology employs an innovative architecture in which compact, frequency-hopping, spread spectrum, digital packet radios are installed geographically in a mesh topology, allowing easy and economical network installation and expansion. UtiliNet, the initial commercial network implementation for Metricom, is a customer owned, wireless data communications network that supports electric utility and other industrial applications. The second 6 commercial implementation, Ricochet, is a subscriber-based communications service designed primarily for users of portable computers and PDA's. The Company's Ricochet wireless data service provides low-cost, high performance, easy-to-use, wide area wireless communication for a variety of users, from individuals to large organizations. METRICOM'S ROOTS -- THE UTII.ITY INDUSTRY Metricom's original charter was to sell wireless communications systems into the electric utility industry in order to improve operating efficiencies and better serve customers. Over time, marketing of these networks has expanded to the water and wastewater industry as well as the gas production and distribution marketplace. This line of communication products is called UtiliNet. By enabling timely and accurate access to usage and operational data followed by appropriate control mechanisms, UtiliNet helps utilities better control the distribution of electricity, the efficiency with which they run the distribution network, and the quality of service they bring to their customers. The result is reduced costs, in many circumstances favorable environmental impact, and a higher degree of customer satisfaction. Examples include reduced generation requirements and fuel savings as well as lowering the total minutes of customer outage time. Over 10 production-class networks are up and running UtiliNet at the following companies: Southern California Edison, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company, the Metropolitan Sewer District of Cincinnati, Michigan's Oakland County Department of Public Works, Halliburton Energy Services, Tenneco Gas, Pacific Gas & Electric, Wisconsin Power & Light, Pacificorp and Boston Edison. 7 RICOCHET; NETWORKING FOR THE MASS MARKET After getting its start in industry-specific environments that cannot compromise the demand for ruggedness, reliability and flexibility, Metricom extended its proven technology into broader market applications through the Ricochet wireless data service. Industry analysts predict that between 10 to 20 million Americans will use wireless data devices and networks by the end of the decade. Metricom is the first company to offer a low-cost, high-speed data network that doesn't require the costly infrastructures of other wireless network providers. The huge up-front outlays associated with such infrastructures are avoided through an architecture which can expand on an as-needed basis, through the addition of compact radios as subscribers are added (see "Technology" section below). With this simple, economical approach, Metricom can add a radio to the network for approximately $700 per poletop radio. Expanding a conventional wireless network typically requires the investment of at least $50,000 for base station equipment. A new Metricom radio can be installed and running in a matter of hours, versus weeks or months for other networks. Metricom envisions a number of immediate general and specific market uses for its wireless data service. The company initially will focus on penetrating university and corporate environments in large metropolitan areas. Extensive beta testing has been carried out by several leading computer companies since the fall of 1993. Metricom plans to install its Ricochet network in major metropolitan areas across the United States. RICOCHET TECHNOLOGY A Network of Intelligent Poletop Radios The Ricochet service operates over Metricom's Ricochet wireless network which sends data packets across a network of intelligent radio's. The network operates 8 in the license-free (902-928 MHz) portion of the radio spectrum and employs a unique patented mesh network technology. Easily deployed poletop radios form the building blocks for the network. The radios are located throughout a specific geographic area such as a campus, city or region. This flexible technology means that the Ricochet service can be expanded or changed to meet business productivity requirements. Each small poletop radio in the network is assigned an exact geographic address (latitude and longitude) and deployed on street lights, utility poles or buildings. The poletop radios are deployed in a mesh configuration from a quarter mile to two miles apart. The radio mesh configuration employed by the Ricochet network provides multiple alternative communications paths -- routing data packets around busy or non- functioning radios. By contrast, traditional wireless data networks employ a "star" topology with a powerful central radio tower directing traffic and relaying messages between subordinate smaller transceivers along a single communications path. The Ricochet service uniquely allows data packets to enter and exit the network at any poletop location. The transmission radius of each poletop is a quarter mile to five miles depending on terrain, building type and topology coverage. Networks can be reconfigured, expanded or scaled back simply by adding or removing poletops. To tie this high-speed network together economically, a Wired Access Point (WAP) is established at the center of each cluster of 100-120 poletop radios. A WAP is a cluster of poletop radios attached to a frame relay network. Data packets are sent from one WAP to another via frame relay or a similar wired service. The network is typically designed so that a data packet requires no more than two or three hops before reaching a WAP. Packets can move from a WAP in one city to a WAP in another city through Metricom's Network Interconnection Facilities (NIFs) that control the movement of packets across Ricochet's wide area network. Data transmitted by a subscriber's Ricochet wireless modem hop from poletop-to- 9 poletop-to-WAP-to-NIF until it reaches its destination. Destinations may include another Ricochet modem, a public packet switched network like the Internet, an on-line service, or a LAN. A high level of privacy is provided because the frequency-hopping pattern of Metricom's spread spectrum technology makes interception of data packets by unauthorized users next to impossible. If interference is encountered on any channel, the data packet automatically hops to another channel. The Ricochet service supports operation with standard protocols and interfaces. This permits, for example, the use of applications intended to communicate over dial- up telephone lines, such as remote access software for America OnLine, AppleLink, CompuServe and Lotus cc:Mail. Spread Spect m Technology Keeps Costs Down While other wireless services operate in parts of the radio frequency spectrum which require costly licenses, Metricom has developed an innovative method which applies license-free spread spectrum technology for data communication application. These frequencies (902-928 MHz), authorized by the FCC, generally are used by technologies with low power levels and short ranges. Spread spectrum wireless networks send and receive information over multiple frequencies, allowing the network to maintain a very robust signal. When used with powerful microprocessor technology, spread spectrum radio communication systems have the potential to yield much higher data capacities with greater spectrum efficiency than the traditional forms of radio communications. The technique of spreading the transmitter signal across a short band of frequencies allows for sharing by many users of that same band. In essence, spread spectrum actually makes more efficient use of a given band of frequencies because so many radio transmissions can take place simultaneously without interfering with one another. 10 Metricom poletop radios carry the `bn board"intelligence to determine where, when and under what conditions to transmit. If certain channels are busy or have interference present, the radio itself can determine these conditions and move data onto another channel or to another radio. These decisions are made in microseconds due to the addition of very smart operating systems within the radios themselves. The radios have internal memory that keeps track of hundreds of radio links and can select from any of these to move the data. Freauency Hopping For A Flexible. Reliable Network On power up, under the control of a Metricom-developed software algorithm, each poletop radio within a network begins a "pseudo-random" frequency hopping pattern that uses a large number of radio channels. Through the built-in acquisition routine, poletop radios communicate with neighboring poletop radios to learn their identity, geographic location, how well they can communicate with each other, and the frequencies where they can be found. When this process is complete, a poletop radio sends data packets by adjusting its frequency to the position of the intended receiving poletop. Because Metricom's patented radio-to-radio routing method is based on the geographic address of each radio, the need for static routing tables and the time and effort associated with maintaining them are eliminated. If a radio is unavailable or out of service, the data packet being transmitted across the network is immediately rerouted to the closest available radio. Unlike the traditional star topology network, a single point of failure does not bring down the entire network. Radio Modems With Phone Modem Speeds To access the network, a user must equip his desktop, laptop or palmtop computer with the other major component of the Ricochet service: the Ricochet wireless radio modem. Weighing less than a pound and connecting to the serial port of 11 any computer, the Ricochet modem sends the user's data via RF signals to the closest network radio. The data packets then move through the mesh from poletop to poletop until they reach their destination. Ricochet can also support wireless communications from devices other than portable computers, such as point-of-sale terminals, that incorporate or can connect to a radio modem. Ricochet modems provide both the speed and information access that users have come to expect from dial-up networks. Ricochet's RF over-the-air raw data rate of 100 kilobits per second (kbps), or net user rate of 10-40 kbps, is 5-10 times faster than any alternative wireless data communications solution. Because Ricochet modems are AT-compatible, they can also perform all the functions of standard AT modems. The portable radio modems and network poletops provide data communications links (with access over third-party wired networks) to remote Ricochet installations, as well as to other data networks and services. Ricochet modems can also communicate peer-to-peer without having to access the mesh network. This enables communications between units anywhere in the U.S. or Canada. Pri in Metricom has put in place a pricing structure that is among the industry's most aggressive. To access a regional network, subscribers pay a fixed monthly rate of $29.95 and a $95 activation fee. The rate covers unlimited data transfer, with no additional per-packet or usage charge. This contrasts sharply with the fixed-rate-plus- usage fees of other data communications services, both wired and wireless, which result in very high and unpredictable monthly bills. Beyond the monthly charge, the only additional cost to the user is the purchase of a Ricochet wireless radio modem. Modems are sold at $599, or discounted to $299 12 when purchased with a 12-month service commitment'. While these devices are currently available only from Metricom, the company plans to license the modem technology to other vendors. All poletop radios in the network are maintained by Metricom. Special student pricing is available. 13 METRICOM MANAGEMENT Robert P. Dilworth. President Chief Executive Officer Mr. Dilworth joined Metricom in September 1987. From 1985 to 1987 he had been president of microcomputer supplier Zenith Data Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Zenith Electronics Corp. He previously had served for three years as president of Morrow Designs, also a microcomputer manufacturer. Mr. Dilworth is a director of VLSI Technology, Inc. and Data Technology Corp. GM M. Green. Executive Vice President, Chief rating Officer Mr. Green joined Metricom as vice president, New Products Division, in January 1991, and was named to his current post in October 1991. Prior to that he spent four years as senior vice president and general manager of Energy Sciences, Inc., a manufacturer of electron-beam systems. He previously was general manager of the Vacuum Products Division at Varian Associates. . LeRoy D. Nosbaum. Executive Vice President. General Manager. UtiliNet Division Mr. Nosbaum joined Metricom as vice president of marketing in March 1989 and was named to his current post in January of 1995. His more than 20 years in the electric and gas metering industry includes a post as general manager of the Integrated Metering Systems Division of Electricity Management-North America, an operating group of Schlumberger Ltd. Donald F. Wood. Executive Vice President. General Manager. Ricochet Division Mr. Wood joined Metricom in November 1994 from Octel Communications, Inc., where he was director of marketing. Earlier he was vice president, marketing, of International Power Technology, Inc., supplier of energy-related capital equipment; a management consultant with McKinsey and Company; and an economist with the Environmental Protection Agency. In 1987 he co-founded Wood-Howard Products, Inc., a consumer product publishing company. Stephens F. Millard. Vice President. Corporate Development & Co-founder Mr. Millard, a Metricom co-founder, served as director of sales and held several other titles at the company before being named to his current position in January 1991. Before launching Metricom he co-founded Packet Technologies, Inc., a cable television equipment firm, and served as its senior vice president from 1982 to 1986. Millard earlier co-founded Telebit and Equatorial Communication Services. He is a director of the National Defense University and chairman of the development committee of the Santa Fe Institute. William D Swain Chief Financial Officer Mr. Swain joined Metricom as director of finance in January 1988 and was named to his current post the following month. He had previously been self-employed as a certified public accountant, and, before that, was vice president of finance for microcomputer maker Morrow Designs. 14 o Metricom Metricom Radio Descriptions AND TECHNICAL INFORMATION Mcuicom Inc. 980 University Ave. Los Gatos CA 95030 Poletop Radio Specifications MCDN Poletop Radio Specifications ceaesd Fuqueacy range .902-928 MHz Spreading tedmique Frequency Hopping Hopping technique ..Pseudo Random,Asyoclnr000us RF data rate .76.920 Kbps Recetver Cs, b 16Z 120M Rule Charnel spa emg 160 kHz Sensitivity(1 x 1W BER) -100 dBm Input Third Order Intercept Poli: -3 dBm Transmahter RF output(at ante ma connection)_ +26 dBm mini�mm.+30 dBm max®sma Dynamic power control four 6 dB steps below the+26 to+30 dBm maidmnmm In band dpurious radiation _...meets FCC Put 15.247 Out of band spurious radiation .—.meets FCC Put 15.205 Baseband modulation —.__Cr two-revel FSK Frequency deviation _.38.3 kHz Frequency AccurAty Over temperature range _._ t3 ppm At 25*C(after 20 minute warm-up) ____*0.30 ppm Processing CPU __NEC V25 Clods Speed. _ — -8 MHZ Environments) Operating temperature range "_._. _____ . —.........._-i0 to+60,C Storage temperature range. - Operating vibration, 5 Hz__ ,_ ---_---2.Og 30 Hz _.Log 100 H1 .OSg Transportation vibrarion _.m shipping cootawer per ASTM D999-75 Operating + 20g,11mSee,half sine per Mil Std 802 Humidity -90-1.RK mo4wdensarg Rain Tie toes 4/host:rainfall at 70 MPH per) l Std 810E Metbod 5063.Procedure 1.Moog Rim Salt Spray per ASTM Buz-Ss.3 ds)s L%U do Power Line SoseeptlbMq Electromagnetic RjAstion FCC Class B.Put 15.247 Surge Protection 6 kV®OSkA dt 6 kV @ 12/50us Power Input votive 113 VAC Input currew(receive ash 113 mA Input an:eca(RF trammit marc) 2228 mA Agency APpros'ah FCC Type Accepted Part 13.247 MedwdCal Enclosure Die Cast Aheminum Weight 5.632m size 11.82W x 930'D x 637'H Mstriaom 0 taoosporst4 980 LJnive rsity Avvsw,Los Ontas.CA 93030 Speei6ead—subject to change without ratios Metrlcom Poletop Radio A highly intelligent radio operating in accordance with FCC Part 15 requirements in the 902 - 928 MHz band. The radio provides wide area routing using packet switching techniques. The radio is suitable for outdoor mounting in a wide range of climates. Specifications Operating temperature -40°F to 140°F Receiver sensitivity -101 dBm RF transmitter output power 28 dBm Transmitter accuracy ±2.5 ppm Power consumption low Current release of software v 2.00F Typical antenna gain 3.5 dBm 4 000-L09,0, < Y � O_ O O is Lig 3:8 a N i tt ;1`t i t n 0 7 z y- O © pn y N`Z t0 00 N M1O 00 r +D} Q S l � Metricom Inc. 980 University Ave. Los GaW& CA 95030 Poletop Radio Mounting i , � I I 1 o I I 0 o O I o 0 Metricom Inc. 980 UWversity Ave. Los GOos CA 95030 Photo Cell Adapter 2.75 t10 i 3.Z0 t20 RECEPTACLE PLUG 0 - 40 INCHES t 2 INCHES 5 PN MS CONWEM k Maricom Inc. 980 University Ave- Los Gatos. CA 95030 PoAa4 \V Ricochet Modem Ricochet RF Modem Specifications Specifications Geeerol Frequency R=age 902-928 MHz Spreading Tedwique Frequency Hopping Hopping Technique P%e+•a^Random Arynchr000us RF Data Rte- 76.920 Kbps Recover Channels 162,I20KHz Wide Channel Spacing 160 kHz Sensitivity(1 x lOa BER) -96 dBm Input Third Order bgen:ept Paint -5 dBm Transmitter RF output(at snteana oo®eclieo) +26 dBm matcm® In band Spurious- A-6- .„ae:FCC Pant 13347 Out of band spurious radiation ^Oc*°FCC Part 15-205 Baseband Modulation —Gaussian two4evei FSK Frequency Deviation 383 kHz Frequency Accuracy Over temperature range _-__.1 ppm At 25-C(after 20 minute warm-up) __-0.50 ppm P—ine CPU— NEC V25 Clods Speed.. 8 MHz Environmental Operating temperance range ._- +10 to+5O*C Operating vnlbration 5-10 Hz_ .. ..-..0.5g 10-500 Hz., Transportation vibration _ _...._in shipping container per ASTM D999-75 Humidity..».. _. non-coodeming Power Input vohJ;r 7 VDC.red—pble battery(i Nduded) Input current(rtxdve avg) I85 mA Input current(RF transmit taax) 760 mA Data PortiFox Serial Iattrfwe RS-232C Prvteol Hayes AT Cammsad Set Agency Approval FCC Type Aooepted Put 15.247 Mechanical Data Pon DB-9 Enclosure Die Cast Abunbmmm Weight(includes banery) 13.13 ez Size 7.70"W x 2.72D x 092'H 1►[e�ioom m leaorpawted.980 LWvwsity Avenue,Los Gator.CA 93030 Spaad=bour srrbj"to dwoge wrtbo A notice f� Metricomo Portable Radio/YV\ode.rr\ A compact, lightweight, intelligent, portable radio modem that operates in accordance with FCC Part 15 requirements in the 902 - 928 MHz band. The radio offers a standard RS-232 modem (AT) interface to any type of computer product (laptop, PDA, notebook, desktop, etc.). The unit is battery powered and intended for continuous use only in a controlled environment. a Specifications Operating temperature -32°F to 122°F Receiver sensitivity -95 dBm RF transmitter output power 28 dBm Transmitter accuracy ±2.5 ppm Power consumption 5 w Current release of software v 2.00F Typical antenna gain -4 dBm PORTABLE MODEM WHICH PLUGS INTO SERIAL PORT ON COMPUTER 0 O T �., Metricom �O O� o� o METRICOM OPERATES IN THE 902-928MHZ BAND WHICH IS IN PART 13 OF THE FCC RULES AND REGULATIONS �t o Metricom Key Part 15 Requirements /4low � Maximum Transmit Power = 1000 mw (1 ) Maximum Transmit Antenna Gain = 6 dB Maximum ERP = 36 dB Three Bands • 902 - 928 MHz . 2.4 2.4835 gHz • 5.725 - 5.85 gHz Must Use Spread Spectrum Techniques • Direct Sequence (DS) �• Frequency Hopping (FH) For FH in 902 - 928 MHz • Hopping to be pseudo randomly • Use at least 50 channels - ll k.:t�ar Jmy,,Yu. , • On the average all channels 6ed equally • Maximum allowed bandwidth is 500 kHz • 400 ms maximum average time on any frequency in a 20 second period _ P Fr' Metricomo Spectrum Competition Life in the Real World In 902 - 928 MHz Band ISM Part 18 Microwave heating Government NTIA Shipboard radar AVM Part 90 AirTouch, PinPoint, Southwestern Bell Amateur Part 97 Spread Spectrum Part 15 Metricom, Spectra Link Close Enough to Matter 820 - 860 MHz Cellular telephone 860 - 890 MHz Trunked SMR 930 - 932 MHz Paging (1000w+) 935 - 960 MHz SM R N O N N O N .E .E .E ,E •E ,c r- CONd- U') N O co N if 11 II 11 fl II _0 -0 -0 -0 . O_ •( L c O .( cu �✓ � E 0 .0 O O _ = 4-- U O E to O O7 N •� 40.. C6 �_ 12L ♦, �_ cn o O U N O •� � � CC/) m I I 0 m +.� O +-' I 1= > -O O O N O O 4J 0N o � mU) U) p a N N N M N N �� ff II II II II II = �� U- C C Ricochet Questions & Answers Performance Questions How fast is a Ricochet modem? The throughput varies from 2,000 bps to 40,000 bps, with average performance around 9,600 bps to 14,400 bps. The network behaves differently than a wireline modem connection. It is a dynamic system whose local performance varies over time. See the figure at the end of this package for a way to think about the performance of a Ricochet modem. What does the speed or throughput depend on? The primary factors are signal strength and latency. These two factors depend in turn on: • Your proximity- to, and exact location within the Ricochet network. • The number of radio "hops" from a Wired Access Point (WAP). • Network capacity utilization near your modem. • Density of poletop repeaters around you. • Height of both your modem (from ground level) and of the poletops. • Local topography, foliage density, building density, and construction materials used in the building you are located in. • Your location -within the building (what floor, how far from the window, etc...) How does Ricochet compare to Cellular(Cellular Digital Packet Data, or CDPD)? • Ricochet has a higher raw RF data rate (100 kbps v. 19.2 kbps). • We expect to have considerably higher user throughput due to the higher raw data rate. • Ricochet is billed at a flat rate, with no usage charges (unlike CDPD which will cost you approx: S 120/ivlegabyte of data). • We offer true Haves AT compatibility which means you can use your standard communications software. • Our network w as designed from the ground up to be a data-only network. This contrasts strongly with CDPD which is an alteration • The Ricochet network does not "hand-off' from cell to cell like cellular telephone systems. How far apart will your modems work peer-to-peer? Under good RF conditions, they can be up to 1,000 to 1,500 feet apart. The distance will decrease depending on local conditions (see above). How dense is the Ricochet Network? We plan to deploy our network with poletop repeaters every 1/2 mile on average (4-5 per square mile). In downtown locations,the density of the network could be much higher, up to 30 radios per square mile. Ricochet Q&A Scripts P. 1 • Not enough potential users in that exact area(e.g. a large park may not be covered). • Lack of streetlights. • Bank-switched lights (which don't have local plug-in power). • No suitable or available building locations. • Unsuitable terrain. • No local approval for the network. • Tough in-building locations (walls too thick, too much steel, too many walls, etc...) What cities will you have installed in 1995? The San Francisco Bay Area, and the Seattle/Bellevue/Redmond area. Service & Billing Can I subscribe today? Yes you:may. Keep in mind that we are literally building the network day-by-day, and that while the performance and coverage will be improving steadily, it is not complete yet. How do I subscribe? If you don't already have an order form call 1-800-556-6123 and we will fax or mail one to you. Fill out the form and fax it back to 408-354-5147. How am I billed for the service? For your initial charges (modem purchase, activation fee, and first month's charges) you must use a Visa, MasterCard, or personal check. For recurring charges we can bill your Visa or MasterCard, or debit your checking account directly from. If you are a corporate purchaser and you would like to use a purchase order, please call our customer service desk and they can help you. Can I receive a monthly invoice? No, unless your recurring bill is more than$500.00. We bill in advance, and we will process your payment electronically without sending you a paper invoice. What does it the product and service cost? The modem costs $299 with a one-year service subscription. The service costs $95 to activate, and $29.95/month. We offer two optional services: • Internet access (Dynamic IP address only) for$15/month • Telephone Modem Access (TMA) for$5/month. What does "Dynamic IP address" mean? How does it affect me? It means you are assigned one of Metricom's pool of IP addresses while you are connected. That means you may not receive e-mail directly to a Metricom-provided Ricochet Q&A Scripts p.5 How close to a poletop to I need to be for service? You should be within 1/4 mile of at least one poletop for good performance in average conditions. Ideally you will be within range of several poletops. The distance you can be from the network depends on many of the factors listed above, and could be less than 1/4 mile under some conditions. I read about your 100 kbps wireless modem in Wired and I want to replace my ISDN line with a Ricochet modem. Can I do that? No. To the user, Ricochet's throughput will not be as fast as ISDN. Can I access my company's LAN via Ricochet? Our product is a modem, and it can basically perform the same function as a telephone modem. If you can currently dial in to your network with a phone modem and retrieve information, you should be able to do the same with Ricochet. Do all phone-modem applications work well over Ricochet? Most, but not all. Telnet-type applications that require an echo for each character do not perform very well due to the latencies inherent to an RF packet network. The key performance factor is latency-tolerance. In other words, can the application tolerate delays associated with the network or not? Some vendors have optimized their products to work well with Ricochet. Who are your competitors? Our primary competitors fall into 3 groups: First there are several wireless LAN companies such as Proxim, though we don't compete directly with them. Second there are Ardis and RAM, both of which provide very wide area networks (VWAN) but much lower speed than Ricochet. Lastly there are CDPD and Analog cellular modem providers which provide slower though comparable speed, but at much higher cost. We see our service as complementary to both wireless LAN products and the VWAN products, and much cheaper than CDPD. How do you compare to wireless LAN companies? Our product is a modem, not a remote LAN node. We don't offer LAN-speed performance, but we do offer connectivity throughout a metropolitan area where we have a network. LAN companies offer high speed,but short range. Radio Frequency Questions What frequency does Ricochet use? We use the 902 Mhz to 928 Mhz band. Does Metricom have a license from the FCC? Ricochet Q&A Scripts p.2 We adhere to the rules goverining part 15 devices, and therefore do not need a license from the FCC to transmit and receive radio signals with our devices. However, each of our products is approved by the FCC as complying with part 15 of their regulations. What about interference from other sources? Ricochet uses spread-spectrum, frequency-hopping, packet-switched technology which is very robust. In the case of interference which causes packet loss, the Ricochet protocol will retransmit the packets. We are required not to interfere with other devices which share the 902-928 Mhz band. What other devices use the same frequencies? Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) devices; some cordless home phones; some garage door openers and related devices; some ham radio channels. Other wireless devices use frequencies near the 902-928 band (cellular telephones and PCS among others). Are there any negative health effects from Ricochet modems or poletops? No. Independent labs have performed extensive tests on the Ricochet modem and poletop and determined that the RF trasmissions are far below any level that could cause problems. Deployment Questions Where is Ricochet available now? Los Gatos, Cupertino, Campbell, and parts of Saratoga. We are building the network in Silicon Valley now, and coverage is improving every day. In addition to the areas above which are well covered, we offer partial coverage in Palo Alto, Mountain View, Santa Clara, San Jose, Sunnyvale, UC Santa Cruz, and Stanford University. When will the Silicon Valley deployment be completed? By the middle of this summer we will have the base network built, and we will continue to fill in the network as required to improve coverage and performance. What will it mean to me when Silicon Valley is deployed in terms of coverage? You will be able to use your modem almost anywhere in the Silicon Valley. We are defining Silicon Valley as the area from Palo Alto to San Jose. There could be some holes due to certain cities delaying approval of the network installation. When will the Bay Area deployment be complete? By the end of 1995 we should have the majority of our intended coverage area done. How much of the Bay Area will you cover? Ricochet Q&A Scripts p.3 We will be covering most of the populated areas. This includes the Peninsula, San Francisco, East Bay, 680 corridor, Pleasanton, Livermore Valley, and parts of southern Marin county. I live in an area with no streetlights. Will I be able to use Ricochet from my home? Probably not, unless there is another way to get mounting sites with power available. I live in a city which has not approved your deployment yet. Is there anything I can do to speed up your deployment? Yes. You can write a letter to your city council asking them to expedite approval of the Metricom network deployment. When are you going to start deployment in Seattle? This summer. I heard last year that you would be done with the Bay Area by the end of 1994. Why is it taking longer? It has taken longer than expected to get local approvals to mount our repeaters (poletops) on streetlights. We have doubled our investment in this process for the coming year in an effort to dramatically speed up deployment. Where won't it work? The performance of Ricochet will depend largely on local conditions at the time you are using your modem. There is a continuum of locations where performance will vary from non-existent to optimal. You will have to become familiar with locations that provide good RF coverage and those that are difficult for RF performance. Where else are you putting up networks? We plan to install Ricochet at about 20 universities this year in addition to the two metropolitan areas listed above. When will you get to (Insert city name here)? We expect to deploy 10 to 25 metropolitan areas by the end of 1996. The list of cities has not been finalized yet, and depends largely on the municipal approval process. Why isn't (Insert city name here) being deployed this year? Metricom has limited resources and we have to prioritize our deployment. While we would love to deploy our network everywhere right away, we have to plan our deployment according to many factors, including which cities have approved Ricochet for installation. Once Metricom has installed a Ricochet network,will the modem work anywhere in that city? It will work most places, but not everywhere. There will be places where Metricom does not or cannot provide coverage due to: Ricochet Q&A Scripts p.4 account; you must.dial in remotely to get it. Also, having one of our IP addresses may mean that you will be unable to access some FTP servers and other services provided by other organizations which use static IP addresses as the authentication mechanism. What does the $29.95 per month get me? It seems like I need the optional services in order to make the service useful. You can connect to other Ricochet modems via the Ricochet network without subscribing to either of the optional services. For example you could install one modem on your e- mail server and then users could get their e-mail via Ricochet from the field without going through the Internet or the public switched phone network. I am a developer. Can I purchase a Ricochet modem and get a developer discount? Ask the following questions: 1. Will you be creating or modifying software or hardware to specifically work with the Ricochet wireless modem? 2. Do you have a specific project and timeline in mind? If so what is it? 3. Will Metricom be able to distribute configurations files, notes, settings files, and/or any special instructions that result from the project once it is completed? Or will they be released to the public domain? The potential developer must answer yes to all three. If they don't there still might be room for them to be a developer, but it would require review of their particular situation and an evaluation of the support they will require. What is your developer pricing? • $500.00 for tv,-o Ricochet modems. • $29.95/month for service and both optional services ($20/mo. savings). • $95.00 activation fee is waived. Ricochet Q&A Scripts p.6 J � ��, v.. :.< c�. r r -�. �� v T � f � �� ...... � � C� Inchcape Testing Services a� '°`' Belzaaar,CA 94M ETL Testing Laboratories TT is -5111 fax.(475)592-6062 CERTIFICATE OF CONFORMITY TO SAFE LEVELS WITH RESPECT TO HUMAN EXPOSURE TO RADIO FREQUENCY ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS Manufacturer: Metricom, Inc. Product: MCDN Portab Modem, 902 928 MHz Model No.: 21009 Tcst Date(s): 14 February 1995 Electromagnetic energy emitted by the radio transmitter described above was measured at Inchcape Testing Services The levels of radio frequency energy were found to be well below the recommended levels ofIviaximum Permissible Exposure for Uncontrolled Environments in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers(IF-,EE) Standard C95.1. Use of the product therefore is dcd to be safe with respect to human exposure to radio frequency electromagnetic fields INCHCAPE TESTING SERVICES/ETL cylu Engineering Manager T.N. Coheuias Technical Dhvaorr s Inchcape Testing Services o Drivc ` Behn"L CA 9400-0 ETL Testing Laboratories Tclepeone(415)s¢2.511t Fax(415)5¢=-6M CERTIFICATE OF CONFORMPIY TO SAFE LEVELS WITH RESPECT TO HUMAN EXPOSURE TO RADIO FREQUENCY ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS Manufacturer. MetricoA Inc. Product: MCDN WANGA Poletop Ra , 902- 928 MSz Model No.: 21006 Tat Date(s): 14 February 1995 Electromagnetic enerV emirted by the radio transmir*P*described above was measured at Inchcape Testing Services. The levels of radio frequency energy were found to be well below the recommended levels of Maxum Permissible Exposure for Uncontrolled Environments in.the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers(IEEE)Standard C95.1. Use of the product therefore is deemed to be safe with respect to human exposure to radio frequency electromagnetic bclds INCHCAPE TESTING SERVICES/ETL C.KIU Eng Aga' T.N. Cokeaias Technical Direutar too Ord o oi o 0, o tA y CZ o 0 � o o ' �• o K ,4 VP ,ZOO !D7 PI 0 po may. .. V Ricochet M The fast, affordable wireless data service for mobile professionals. M12M U.3x� t k r yF 6 Yni v r f- The Ricochet wireless data service allows sub- scribers to maximize their productivity when they're away from the office.Subscribers get all the benefits of wired phone modem performance —without the wires,including the ability to: Today's office extends and expense of connecting •check e-mail remotely beyond walls.People are on the through a hotel telephone •send faxes move.They're working at switchboard. •access the Internet home,at libraries,at customer Ricochet turns any computer •communicate peer-to-peer sites,in hotel rooms and air- into a virtual office by connect- •check prices and product information ports.But to work eing subscribers to the vital effectively, information the need.The •check inventory mobile employees need to be y •send contracts Ricochet wireless modem plugs able to access information easily directly into a desktop,laptop •place purchase orders —without being tethered to a or PDA and connects sub- phone jack.With the Ricochet scribers to the network,giving wireless data service, mobile them access to their corporate databases,files,and on-line professionals don't tie up the information.Wherever they are. phone lines at a customer site, Whenever they need it. or deal with the complication TM Ricochet . . . . . . . . . Product Specifications Modem Size: 7 5/8"x 2 3/8"x 5/8" Weight: 13 ounces Battery Flexible Network NIMH 6 hours typical life, depending on usage.One battery The Ricochet service operates included with modem. over Metricom's Ricochet wire- less network which sends data A 0Adapter a'`Y � 10 -125VAC,50-80Hz,0.22A packets across a network of intelligent radio nodes. Serial Connection The network operates in the RS 232 license-free(902-928 MHx) Serial Protocols portion of the radio spectrum able price.Because the intelli- AT,PPP,SLIP,Star Mode and employs a unique patented gent poletop radios are small Speed mesh network technology, and inexpensive,Metricom can 100 kbps RF data rate,serial port selectable from 1200 bps to Easily deployed poletop easily deploy the network on 115.2 kbps.User throughput of radios form the building blocks existing poletops and buildings, up to 35 kbps depending upon for the network.This flexible without buying real estate or software,hardware,and applica- technology means that the erecting costly towers. Private tions used. Ricochet service can be expand- With the Ricochet service,data Compatibility ed or changed to meet business Compatible transmission is private because IBM PC and MS-DOS compati P ble,Apple Macintosh desktop, productivity requirements. The Ricochet network imple- of the utilization of spread PowerBookTm and Newton,and ments the industry standard AT spectrum technology.Ricochet's PDA's with serial ports.One seri- Fast command set as well as SLIP innovative frequency-hopping al cable included with modem. Ricochet transmits data five to and PPP for direct access to the network technology uses data Ricochet Service ten times faster than other wire- Internet or any private TCP/IP packets transmitted at low Cost less data communications ser- based LAN. power on randomly selected Flat-rate monthly fee is based on channels throughout the desired features,includes unlim- vices,with a raw RF data rate of Ricochet's wireless modem is g ited usage. 100 kbps per second. compatible with all Apple,MS- license-free band of the radio Coverage DOS,and IBM platforms and spectrum. Extended campuses,surrounding Affordable the growing number of PDA neighborhoods,and greater met Ricochet is the lowest cost wire- devices such as Apple® Proven Technology ropolitan regions. less data service available.One Newton''"and HP 100LXT'. Metricom's Ricochet wireless And,the Ricochet wireless Accessories flat monthly rate includes technology has already proven Spare battery unlimited usage. modem works with most exist- itself in the electric utility Desktop recharger It is the unique architecture ing software—simply connect industry.Metricom's UtiliNetT' Serial cable for either MAC or PC of the Richochet network that the modem by cable to a com- data network has set new stan- Replacement antenna enables Metricom to offer this puter or PDA serial port to read dards in cost-effective wireless FCC Approval technology at such an afford- and send e-mail,access on-line solutions for the sophisticated The Ricochet wireless modem is services for research,trade communication needs of utility FCC certified and complies with Part 15 of the FCC rules. stock,or surf the net. and industrial companies. • :�� Metricom° Leading the way in wireless communication Metricom,Inc. 980 University Avenue Los Gatos,California 95030-2375 Tel.800-556-6123 Fax 408-354-1024 Ricochet,UtiliNet,and Metricom are registered trademarks of Metricom,Inc.All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property www.Metricom.com of their respective companies. Ft' 980 University Avenue Metricom® Los Gatos, CA 95030 Company contact: Agency contacts:. Sandy Gordon William Orrange Metricom, Inc. Janis Ulevich (408) 399-8165 Ulevich & Orrange, Inc. (415) 329-1590 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CITY OF SAN JOSE APPROVES RIGHT OF WAY FOR METRICOM'S WIRELESS DATA NETWORK LOS GATOS, Calif, Jan. 25, 1995 -- Metricom, Inc., has completed an agreement with the City of San Jose, California, for right-of-way to deploy the company's Ricochet wireless data network services throughout the San Jose metropolitan area. The Ricochet service is similar to cellular telephone service, sending data, however, instead of voice. It enables subscribers to wirelessly access on-line information, e-mail, their LAN servers, and the Internet from computers, laptops and handheld devices. The agreement includes installation and operation of the network for the period January 24, 1995 - January 24, 2000. The San Jose deployment is a major step in Metricom's program to cover the Silicon Valley and surrounding San Francisco Bay Area with its Ricochet service by the end of 1995. The company expects to complete installation of this radio-based network by spring. The Ricochet service is alreadypartially deployed in Silicon Valley and several other Bay Area cities. The City of Cupertino, for example, uses the Ricochet service to operate CityNet, providing education links throughout the city school system, links to emergency services and government departments, as well as communications between citizens and government officials. Ricochet service, available for a flat monthly access fee of$29.95, lets users communicate wirelessly at a price and performance level comparable to traditional telephone dial-up modems. Ricochet subscribers can send and receive graphics and other large files, rather than just short messages for which other wireless networks are typically used. Portable modems which are used to access the network are available from Metricom for a list price of$299 with a one year service subscription. Founded in 1985,Metricom(Nasdaq:MCOM)is a leader in digital,wireless data communications networking technology. The firm,headquartered in Los Gatos,Calif,has developed a license-free,high-performance,low-cost regional data communications network system that can be used in a broad range of personal computer and industrial applications. Metricom networks feature advanced spread-spectrum,packet radio technology which sends computer data across a network of intelligent radio nodes. Metricom is a registered trademark of Metricom,Inc. Ricochet,MCDN and MicroCellular Data Network are trademarks of Metricom,Inc. Telephone: Fax: 408.399.8200 408.354.1024 980 University Avenue j p Los Gatos, CA 95030 Company contact: Agency contacts: Sandy Gordon William Orrange Metricom, Inc. Janis Ulevich (408) 399-8165 Ulevich& Or-range, Inc. (415) 329-1590 FOR MvIEDIATE RELEASE METRICOM'S MICROCELLULAR DATA NETWORK NOW OPERATES AT 100 KILOBITS PER SECOND; FASTEST AVAILABLE WIRELESS WIDE AREA NETWORK LOS GATOS, Calif., Nov. 18, 1994 -- Metricom, Inc., has increased the performance of its wireless data network by 30 percent. The gross over-the-air data transmission rate for the new release of Metricom's MicroCellular Data Network (MCDN) system is now 100 kilobits per second, making it the fastest available wide area wireless data network. Robert Dilworth, Metricom president and CEO, said, "Our experience with users demonstrates that more speed is always important." By increasing speed without increasing monthly charges or reducing range, Metricom's Ricochet service makes it easier for businesses, universities, health-care providers and others to move quickly toward providing wireless access to real-time data. "This price and performance make it practical to send and receive graphics and other large data files, rather than just short messages for which existing wireless networks are typically used", Dilworth added. Using Ricochet, subscribers can wirelessly access the same applications they use with dial up telephone modems such as e-mail, on-line services, and the Internet. The performance increase was accomplished through software improvements and component tuning without compromising any features of the present Ricochet service. Conversion to the new technology will be completed in approximately four weeks. At that time, current subscribers can exchange their existing portable Ricochet modems for upgraded versions at no additional charge. Telephone: Fax: 408.399.8200 408.354.1024 iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii IrE WORK- COMPUT FREEWIRE I BILL FREZZA Bypassing Your Way Onto The 1-way Debate has been raging of � N ^ itself into a high-flyer in the wireless late over Who Will ultl- lull sweepstakes. Thanks to a street-smart ING mately control access to CEO who can shuck and jive with the the nation's "information best, and an investment banking engine that has helped amass a $100 million infrastructure"—the telcos war chest, including some of Bill Gates' or the Cable TV companies. pocket change, these guys are on to Suppose the answer is...none of the something that merits close attention. above? Never mind the cachet of the mobile This is not as preposterous as it yuppie. Metricom has a fascinating value sounds. After all,neither of these groupsFlat-rate service can be proposition even when you're standing control today's Internet, the rapidly still. had at reasonable mutating front-runner likely to serve as Metricom's system, dubbed Ricochet, rates, depending on the our eight-lane global infobahn. Most of uses a novel mesh architecture that has the public sparring going on right now access speed you two noteworthy characteristics. First,it involves staking out turf to build the select.The guys setting uses frequencies in the 902-to 928- "on-ramps."And because everyone ISDN tariffs better pay MHz ISM band. Look Ma,no license! presumes that this will be done byattention. Second,the majority of the microcells stringing wires(OK, so maybe they're they deploy,which are just $700 made of glass), attention naturally bracket-mounted shoe boxes,as focuses on wire-pullers. But pulling new opposed to $150,000 base stations, wires often requires digging up the thumb was, "If it doesn't move,connect don't require a wireline telecom streets,which implies bribing it with a wire; if it moves, plug in an connection. All they need is AC power. government officials(the more genteel antenna."This works fine for desks, PCs They can stick these buggers on street call this franchise fees or taxes). The and TVs,which usually don't rush lights,billboards, grandma's attic, problem is that most of these public about, and for people,cars and laptops, wherever. guardians usually demand some sort of which often do. But maybe the The unlicensed spread spectrum commitment to either"universal service" dynamics of the local telecom market, story has been told many times and I or"fair prices."Then they stage endless looming deregulation and the coming won't repeat it here. Clearly,building on hearings to figure out what that really glut of wireless capacity will change this. land you don't own is a risk, perhaps the means. Not only is this distracting,but Maybe wirelessness and mobility are not biggest one Metricom faces. Indeed, pulling wires takes time—a long time. necessarily synonymous. they'd be much better off if they held This has a lot to do with the mentality title to some spectrum. But their and stretched-out time horizons of The Mouse That Roared technical approach is eminently sensible phone and cable companies. Enter a company called Metricom. Once given the rag-tag collection of neighbors Why not just skip over the whole a quiet industrial telemetry company they may be forced to bunk with in this mess by slapping an antenna on your PC? that concentrated on remote meter spectral equivalent of public housing. There was a time when the rule of reading,Metricom has transmogrified Most of the other datacom users in this band use Direct Sequence spread Frequency Division Multiplexing, the POPs, or connections to an Internet spectrum as their ticket to unlicensed use. 's foundation upon which Frequency access provider. Metricom's not picky. It is Remember Direct Sequence modulation? Hopping is based, can easily deliver 70 building on-ramps,not the Super- It's when you take the data you really dB or more of protection against adjacent Highway itself. want to send and XOR it with a much channels. Metricom's microcell sites, Believe it or not,it works.And it runs higher-speed pseudo-random chip which have footprints under half a mile, at a raw data rate of 77 Kbps,with 56- sequence, thereby schmearing your signal are really just narrowband Frequency Kbps burst speeds available to the user hither and yon. Great stuff if you want to Division Multiplexed radios that happen and sustained throughputs in the 24- hide from the bad guys,which is why the to change channels every so often, Kbps range. Not too shabby,not only military uses it with really long chip hopping through a list of frequencies when compared to other wireless codes. The magic comes in the receiver, scattered across the entire 20-MHz band. networks,but compared to the best you when you program your correlater to sniff I If they occasionally hop into a bad can get over a dial-up line too. Latency out the specific chip code used to spread can be unpredictable,perhaps stretching your data, statistically filtering out other to several seconds worst case,but that's signals sharing the same frequency band. AS fOYCeS Of C11Q11geS QSSQil true for all the wireless packet nets. And It looks ugly on a spectrum analyzer butthe local telco monopoly; here's the bottom line for the consumer the math describing it is a thing of beauty and the moral of our story: Flat-rate It also lends itself well to digital signal Some of the bigger guys service can be had for between$10 and processing instead of clunky analogWill Sit up and tape notice. $20 per month, depending on the access filters,making it a nice candidate for speed you select. The guys setting ISDN large-scale integration and cheap single "'"""""""""""""'""""" "'""""""' "'""' tariffs better pay attention. chip radios. That's important if you want neighborhood with a crummy noise floor, I And this is just the beginning. Prices to be teeny tiny and run on hearing aid say one occupied by a particularly fierce can only go down in this game, not up. batteries for two weeks. Sensormatic security tag, they are smart Other companies will copy Metricom, In theory,it works great. enough to adapt and not go back. All of perhaps modified to work in the licensed Notwithstanding George Gilder's chronic I this hopping has to be synchronized so broadband PCS spectrum coming up for gushing over the mystical ability of Direct both users and the other nodes in the auction.As the forces of change begin to Sequence to create infinite channel mesh know where to find each other,but assail the local telco monopoly, some of capacity—Shannon's theorem be they've had years to work this out during ': the bigger players are going to sit up and damned—the interference immunity and their days reading electric meters. take notice. Don't be surprised if you see channel separation of this approach them sprouting antennas. begins to wear thin when you try to move Saved by the Routing Algorithm And speaking of bigger players,let's outside the controlled environment of an What makes the "mesh"robust enough to not forget MCI with its on-again, off-again on-premises LAN. The problem with survive the vicissitudes of unlicensed Nextel deal, skulking around with a trying to pile a bunch of Direct Sequence operation is its dynamic routing billion dollars burning a hole in its guys into the same channel is that you are algorithm. The address of each microcell pocket, desperately trying to bypass the forced to trade off speed against noise is its latitude, longitude and altitude. local phone companies that are feeding immunity.And with the minimal These things are actually installed with a on their bottom line. If you think data is spreading these guys do in order to GPS receiver in hand to set the address. cool, think about voice. I don't know achieve useful data rates, they're lucky to Have to carry more traffic?Fine. Stack the about you,but I'd be a lot more willing to get 20 dB of processing gain. Now 20 dB microcells 10 deep on top of each other. buy my local phone service from a well- may sound like a lot to a landline lubber, One of the nodes got gronked?Fine. trained MCI telemarketer than from some but it's roughly how much signal you lose Route around it. Every node keeps a list Bozo from my local cable TV company when you try to punch your way into or of who it can"hear"and how good each hawking the wonders of pay-per-view out of a building. That's fine when link is at any particular moment. Packets Explain this to me again?: I get a cordless everyone you want to talk to is on the pass from node to node wirelessly,each phone that I can use anywhere in my same floor of the same building,but iffy node handing off to the furthest node it I neighborhood and 30 percent off my long for users spread around a city. It makes can hear on the way to its destination.At distance bill?Where do I sign? for some horrendous power control carefully planned locations—that is, problems as well. places where it is convenient to attach a Bill Frezza is the president of Wireless Anyway, Metricom decided to avoid wire—traffic is sucked off the mesh onto Computing Associates and the chairman of the beautiful math and use common a wireline backbone. This backbone the wireless modem standards committee of sense,subject of course to FCC Part 15 consists of a mix of leased lines, the PCCA. Bill can be reached anytime, rules and regulations. Old fashioned connections to SprintNet or Tymnet anywhere atfrezza@radiomill.net. Copyright©November 1994 by CMP Publications,Inc.,600 Community Drive,Manhasset,NY 11030.Reprinted from NETWORK COMPUTING with permission. Electronic Engineering Monday December 12, 1994 Issue 826 A CMP Publication® Nficro celfts inhabit spread spectrum BY GEORGE F7.AMMER poles and building roofs, Spreading applications DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATION Operating in the unlicensed 902- to In addition to WHIN in Dearborn, the TECHNOLOGY 928-MHz spectrum, MCDN technolo- success of MCDN technology is being METRICOM INC. gy offers high-performance wireless proven in CityNet, operated by the city Los GATOs, CALIF data at a very low cost. The perfor- of Cupertino, Calif., as well as several mance is high because of the over- campus-wide networks operational at n October, Med-E-Systems the-air data rate of 100 kbits/second. universities and corporate headquar- Corporation launched its That is substantially faster than any ters. Wireless Health Informa- other wide-area wireless data provider Low-cost digital technologies have tion Network (WHIN) to and yields end-user performance akin made possible radios that use avail- service a group of physicians and clin- to that of a modern phone modem. able spectrum very intelligently to ics in Dearborn, Mich. The network is The costs are low because the basic take advantage of large bandwidths— a working example of the kind of per- building block of the network, the the equivalent of hundreds of chan- sonal wireless information access that pole-top mounted radio, is quite inex- nels—in every local area. many are predicting for the future. pensive. These radios are "mesh" On-board intelligence determines Using handheld pen-based computers, connected throughout an area of cov- where, when, and under what condi- physicians in the Dearborn area have erage on typically a one-mile grid. To tions to transmit. Each radio can real-time access to patient-authorized add new capacity or expand and detect when a given channel is busy or clinical data,as well as care guidelines. improve existing coverage, MCDN blocked by interference and move data WHIN connects these physicians merely adds radios within range of to another channel or another radio. to both community and national data the new users in radio-by-radio incre- These decisions are made in microsec- sources such as HMOs, pharmacy ments. onds, with internal memory keeping benefit managers, laboratories, hospi- Users also benefit from the ease- track of hundreds of radio links that tals, insurance companies and others. of-use of MCDN. Standard unmodi- can be selected for moving data. The wireless infrastructure for fied modem applications also operate In a spread-spectrum environment, WHIN is a MicroCellular Data Net- untethered. Standard software and radio channels are effectively pooled work (MCDN), which is provided hardware interfaces support most to make optimal shared use of a set of by Metricom. It consists of low- existing communication tasks. Priva- frequencies. Through frequency divi- cost, frequency-hopping spread cy is protected by the inherent securi- sion, each user can be completely iso- spectrum (FHSS), digital packet ty of "pseudo random" frequency lated from the others for security and radios typically mounted on light hopping. to eliminate interference. NETWORK TECHNOLOGIES F Of the two basic spread-spectrum the spectrum while at the same time radios are statistically on different technologies used today—direct using traditional narrowband filtering channels, many such links naturally sequence and frequency hopping— techniques to reject noise and interfer- occur simultaneously. frequency hopping is the more robust ence. Standard analog filtering in the FHSS radio networks are designed for use in a wide-area network. Direct radio's design can provide adjacent from the outset to handle heavy traffic sequence relies on processing gain to channel-interference rejection of 60 to and noise conditions. By using the overcome interference. Direct- 80 dB—a significant improvement technique, secure and reliable military sequence processing gain is defined as over direct-sequence systems. In the communication systems have existed total bandwidth occupied divided by United States and Canada, regulations for years sharing the frequencies of the user data rate. While effective in a require that the hopping sequence use more traditional users without detec- highly regulated environment, direct at least 50 non-overlapping channels tion. sequence comes up short where there and that maximum time spent trans- Today, Metricom's MCDN technol- are many disparate systems sharing mitting on any channel be limited to ogy has delivered speed,cost and scal- the spectrum. For example, a direct- 400 ms in any 20-second period. ability advantages to the commercial sequence spread-spectrum radio that System capacity is enhanced fur- sector. The benefits of timely access to delivers 100 kbits/s to the user and ther through asynchronous frequency information can be enormous. In the occupies the entire 902- to 928-MHz hopping. In this case,each radio in the case of the Wireless Health Informa- band, will have approximately 24 dB network is on a different channel at tion Network, for example, Med-E- of processing gain. Any interference any given time. Radios are hopping Systems studies indicate that annual greater than 24 dB above the desired asynchronously relative to one anoth- savings of more than $300,000 per signal will probably destroy the er; independent data links are set up physician can be achieved by eliminat- received data. dynamically. When communication is ing inappropriate care through quick Frequency hopping has the advan- completed, the radios involved in the access to the medical and patient tage of spreading its channels across link return to the idle state. Since all information. Metricom, Inc. 980 University Avenue Los Gatos, CA 95030 1.800.543.0721 www.Metricom.com Copyright©1994 by CMP Publications,Inc.,600 Community Drive,Manhasset,NY 11030.Reprinted from Electronic Engineering TIMES with permission. Price List Ricochet Services Monthly Rate Ricochet Wireless Service ` $29.95 Optional Local Telephone Modem Access 2 $5.00 Optional Internet Access 3 $15.00 Ricochet Products Price Ricochet Wireless Modem 5.6 $599.00 Ricochet Modem 5'6 with one year Wireless Service a $299.00 + $29.95/month Ricochet Accessories Price Spare Rechargeable Battery Pack(NiMH) $79.95 Replacement Serial Cable (PC or Mac, 18 inches) $9.95 Long Serial Cable (PC or Mac, 10 feet) $19.95 DeskTop Battery Recharger $79.95 Extra AC Adapter $59.95 Extra Antenna $9.95 Notes: 1.One-time activation fee of$95 applies to all services. 2.Dial-out access to the public switched telephone network.Local and toll-free calls only. 3.PPP connection.Requires customer-supplied PPP and TCP/IP software. 4.Cancellation fee applies if subscriber discontinues service prior to 12 months. 5.Modem includes standard serial cable,rechargeable battery pack,and AC adapter/recharger. 6.30 day refund period applies to modem purchase. Issued 2/3/95 Prices and Specifications are subject to change without notice Ricochet Fax or mail this form to: Order Form Ricochet Attn: Customer Service 980 University Ave. Los Gatos, CA 95030 11101 . Tel: (800)556-6123 Fax: (408)354-5147 Internet: info@metricom.com http://www.metricom.com Modem Name Computer Type: Mac[] PC The name will be unique to you. If you do not want a name leave the space blank. If you choose a name that has already been selected by another subscriber, Ricochet will assign that name with a number after it(eg LISA3).You are limited to 12 letters or numbers,no spaces or periods allowed. Billing Address: Shipping Address (If different from billing address): Name Name Address Address City City State ZIP State ZIP Phone Fax Phone Fax Internet Option 1: Modem only,without network access. (Will only work in peer-to-peer mode) ❑ Ricochet Modem Only(Before Sales Tax and Freight) $ 599.00 Option 2: Ricochet High Performance Bundle (Requires 12 month service commitment) Ricochet Modem $ 299.00 Activation Fee $ 95.00 1 Month Ricochet Service $ 29.95 per mo. 1 Month Internet Access $ 15.00 per mo. 1 Month Telephone Modem Access (TMA) $ 5.00 per mo. Total Initial Charges (Before Sales Tax and Freight) $ 443.95 Option 3: Ricochet Basic RF Bundle (Requires 12 month service commitment) Ricochet Modem $ 299.00 Activation Fee $ 95.00 1 Month Ricochet Service $ 29.95 per mo. Total Initial Charges (Before Sales Tax and Freight) $ 423.95 Options 2 and 3 are subject to $300 fee when you cancel prior to 1 year of service. X Initial Here How would you like to be billed for your modem &services? VISA MC Automatic Bank Debit Shipping Method: Credit Card Acct. # Exp. Date / FedEx P1 $14.00 ❑ FedEx Std. $10.50 ❑ Signature: •" FedEx 2nd Day $6.00 ❑ Will Call/Pickup N/C ❑ Name on Card if Different From Yours: Automatic Bank Debit customers:Your first payment must be made by credit card or a check made out to Metricom. Please Metricom Use Only attach a copy of a voided check and send it with this order form. I authorize Ricochet to initiate debit entries to my checking account for Ricochet monthly services. This authority is to remain in full force and effect until Ricochet has received written SN notification of its termination. AGENT Signature: Date: "By signing this form,I understand and agree to the"Ricochet Terms and Conditions." If you do not have a copy of these terms, NS Update_ INI please call Ricochet Customer Service and have them faxed or mailed to you. Ricochet Order Form 4/3/95 RICOCHET®WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS TERMS AND CONDITIONS 1.General Information.The Ricochet®Wireless Communications Service('Ricochet")is provided by Metricom,Inc.("Metricom"). By opening this package,you agree to the terms and conditions of this Agreement,which includes the license to use Ricochet,the purchase or rental terms for the Modem(as defined below)and a disclaimer of warranty. Further,you agree to use Ricochet and the Modem in a manner consistent with any and all applicable laws and regulations. , 2.License to Use Ricochet Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement,you will have a nonexclusive,nontransferable,nonassignable license to use Ricochet and to perform the Strata3 software("Strata3').The use of Ricochet, Strata3 and any software or documentation related thereto are licensed,not sold,to you for use only under the terms of the license contained herein,and Metricom reserves any rights not expressly granted to you. 3. Modem. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement,Metricom agrees to sell or rent to you,and you hereby agree to purchase or rent from Metricom,the Ricochet Modem(the'Modem"). 4. Modem Purchase. You may purchase the Modem from Metricom for the purchase price set forth on the order form.Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein,if you purchase the Modem,Section 12 and other provisions of this Agreement that apply exclusively to renting Modems shall not apply to you. 5.Tenn.This Agreement shall be effective as of the date on which the order form is submitted,or on the date that the modem is purchased.This Agreement shall remain effective until terminated pursuant to Section 15. 6. Fees. All fees incurred by you under this Agreement,together with applicable sales,use or similar taxes,will be payable by credit card or other means as indicated on the order form. If you request any change to your level of service, you agree to pay any additional fees,if applicable,related thereto. 7. Equipment and Software. You shall use the Modem and your own equipment to access Ricochet.You are responsible for all charges for your use of any third party services via Ricochet,including any long distance telephone transmission and any information or service provider charges incurred by you during your use of Ricochet that are not part of the Ricochet service you have selected. METRICOM SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR DETERMINING COMPATIBILITY BETWEEN RICOCHET OR THE MODEM AND ANY EQUIPMENT OR SOFTWARE PROVIDED BY YOU AND IN NO WAY WARRANTS THE CAPABILITIES OF ANY SUCH EQUIPMENT OR SOFTWARE IN THE USE OF RICOCHET OR THE MODEM. METRICOM FURTHER MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES THAT THE MODEM AND RICOCHET,TOGETHER WITH YOUR EQUIPMENT,WILL ACHIEVE THE MAXIMUM NETWORK ACCESS SPEED SET FORTH ON THE SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT YOU SIGNED OR ANY OTHER METRICOM PRINTED MATERIAL. 8. Restrictions on Use. a.All right,title and interest in Ricochet,Strata3 and the materials included therewith belong to Metricom,except to the extent that third parties whose materials are made available via Ricochet possess copyright or proprietary interests in such materials. You will not,by virtue of this Agreement,acquire any proprietary interest in Ricochet,Strata3 or of any materials included therewith or accessed thereby. b. You shall not distribute copies of any Ricochet or Strata3 documentation to others. Ricochet and Strata3 maybe used only in the United States,Canada and Puerto Rico.Use outside of this territory is prohibited and may violate the export control laws of the United States. You may not decompile,reverse engineer or disassemble Strata3,any Ricochet software,or the Modem. You may not modify,adapt,translate,,incorporate into other works,rent,lease,loan,resell for profit,distribute,network or create derivative works based upon Ricochet,any Ricochet software or any par thereof the Modem,or any manuals or documentation related to Ricochet or the Modem. c. You shall not publish,broadcast,use or sell any materials retrieved through Ricochet in any fashion that may infringe any copyright or proprietary interest of Metricom or any third parties whose materials are made available via Ricochet. You may create on-line and off-line printouts of materials retrieved through Ricochet. You may reproduce or duplicate such printouts,and distribute such printouts and copies,to the extent permitted under the"fair use"provisions of the Copyright Act of 1976(17 U.S.C._101 et seq.)in addition to any other rights you may have to copy it. d.You shall not use Ricochet,Strata3 or the modem in any manner contrary to local,state or federal law. Metricom expressly disclaims any and all responsibility or liability for any such action by you and reserves the right to terminate your Ricochet service,or if applicable,your modem rental,immediately upon notification that such activities have occurred. 9. Service. In the event that Ricochet is interrupted or you experience some other difficulty with your service attributable to Ricochet,or you experience difficulties with the Modem,you may call toll free the phone number printed in the "Getting Online"manual. Metricom shall endeavor to const problems attributable to Ricochet as soon as reasonably practicable. For Modem problems during the warranty period set forth in Section 10,the Metricom service representative shall issue a return material authorization number and you shall return the Modem to Metricom in accordance with the instructions issued by the Metricom service representative and atyour expense.Notwithstanding the one year limited warranty set forth in Section 10 below,if you rent a Modern,and such Modem is defective or malfunctions,your sole remedy shall be to notify Metricom via the toll free number,and Metricom,in its sole discretion,shall replace or repair the Modem in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 9. 10. Limited Warranty. a. Metricom hereby represents and warrants to you that the Modem shall be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one year from the time of your purchase or rental of the Modem.Notwithstanding the foregoing or Section 9,if you rent a modem,you are responsible for replacing any batteries following the end of the one year warranty period. EXCEPT AS SPECIFICALLY SET FORTH HEREIN,METRICOM HER EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND REGARDING THE MODEM WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED,INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. b. Metricom offers no warranties,express or implied,regarding the accuracy,sufficiency or suitability Strata3,of Ricochet,its software or other Ricochet materials provided to you. You have the sole responsibility for inspecting and testing all services to your satisfaction before using them with important data. Metricom makes no warranties or representations whatsoever regarding any goods or services provided by any third parties pursuant to your use of Ricochet and Metricom shall not be a party to such transactions or be liable for any costs or damages arising out of either directly or indirectly,the actions or inaction's of such third parties. RICOCHET AND Strata3 ARE DISTRIBUTED ON AN"AS IS"BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND,EXPRESS OR IMPLIED,INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. 11. Limitation on Liability. a.Without limiting the generality of the foregoing Section 10,Metricom shall not be liable for any loss,injury,claim,liability or damage of any kind resulting in any way from(i)your use of Ricochet,(b)your use of the Strata3,(iii)your use of any equipment in connection with Ricochet and the Modem,or(w)the content of materials included with or accessed via use of Ricochet and the Modem. b.IN NO EVENT SHALL METRICOM BE LIABLE TO YOU OR ANY THIRD PARTY FOR ANY CONSEQUENTIAL,EXEMPLARY OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES,INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY LOST PROFITS, DATA,SAVINGS OR REVENUES,ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT,WHETHER UNDER TORT,CONTRACT OR OTHER THEORIES OF RECOVERY,EVEN IF METRICOM HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. BECAUSE SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES,THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. 12.Ownership;Assignment;Liens;Surrender.The Modem will remain the property of Metricom unless purchased by you pursuant to Section 4 and you acknowledge that the rental of the Modem pursuant to this Agreement grants you no ownership rights in the Modem you rent.Any attempt to sublease,assign,transfer,pledge or otherwise dispose of the Modem or any of your rights,duties or obligations under this Agreement shall be void. You shall keep the Modem free and clear of all levies,bens and encumbrances. Upon termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 15,you shall,at your expense,return the Modem in good repair,ordinary wear and tear resulting from proper use thereof excepted,by delivering it,packed and ready for shipment to such place or carrier as Metricom may specify. In the event the Modem has not been so returned within 20 days of the date of termination,you shall be deemed to have purchased the Modem and Metricom may thereupon charge you the Modem purchase fee of$599. 13.Loss or Damage. You shall bear the entire risk of loss,theft,damage or destruction of the Modem from any cause whatsoever,and if you rent a Modem no loss,theft,damage or destruction of the Modem shall relieve you of the obligation to pay the Modem rental fees or to comply with any other obligation of this Agreement 14. Indemnification. You agree to indemnify and hold Metricom harmless from any claims,damages,costs,awards and expenses which Metricom may incur or become obligated to pay(including but not limited to reasonable attomey's fees and costs incurred)in connection with your breach of any of the provisions herein. 15.Termination Metricom reserves the right,at its sole discretion,immediately,without notice,to suspend or terminate your access to and use of Ricochet and to terminate your Modem rental upon any breach of the terms and conditions hereof by you. Either you or Metricom may terminate this Agreement at anytime without cause by sending notice to the other party.Termination of this Agreement shall not relieve you of any obligations to pay accrued fees,including any fees accrued for the month in which this Agreement is terminated. In no event shall Metricom be required to refund all or a portion of any of the fees paid under Section 6 of this Agreement Sections 4,7,8,10,13 and l4 shall survive termination or expiration of this Agreement 16.Governing Law.This Agreement shall be deemed to have been entered into and shall be interpreted and governed in all respects by the laws of the State of California,excluding its conflict of law provisions. 17.Notice.Any notice,demand,request or consent required or permitted hereunder shall be in writing and shall be given by certified mail,return receipt requested,or via express courier,to the addresses listed on the order form or as updated by either Metricom or you in writing from time to time. 18. Miscellaneous.Upon written notice,Metricom may modify this Agreement,its operating riles or prices and may discontinue or revise any or all other aspects of Ricochet in its sole discretion and without prior notice.These Terns and Conditions constitute the agreement between Metricom and you with respect to the subject matter hereof Should any provision of this Agreement be held by a court of law to be illegal,invalid or unenforceable,the legality,validity,and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement shall not be affected or impaired thereby.The failure of any parry to enforce any of the terns or conditions of this Agreement,unless waived in writing,shall not constitute a waiver of that party's right to enforce each and every term and condition of this Agreement