Burst Wireless Inc. and Lucent Technologies Inc. are collaborating in a trial of high-speed wireless Internet services that Burst says will offer data rate speeds up to 144 kilobits per second, and, using Lucent’s infrastructure equipment, keep in step with burgeoning third-generation technologies.
The trial will take place in Port Angeles, Wash., and involve about 50 participants. Lucent is providing the networking equipment and software, professional services and network management, Burst said.
Unlike similar offerings such as Metricom Inc.’s Ricochet service, already available in San Diego and Atlanta, Burst’s technology uses spectrum in the 1.9 GHz PCS frequency band-a detail that will delay the launch of any widespread service for at least a year until the company can acquire enough spectrum. Ricochet uses unlicensed spectrum that it must share with other wireless entities.
“We do get to use our spectrum free and clear, without sharing with other wireless services. Our model allows us to turn to the same infrastructure providers (as the carriers) and ride the high-volume curves those guys are in,” said Rick Compton, chief technology officer for Burst. “Frankly there is a lot of PCS spectrum. … 120 megahertz is available and it’s available in every city.”
The Port Angeles trial will operate under experimental licenses from the Federal Communications Commission. Mark Schultz, chief of operations for Burst, said the company is looking now into acquiring personal communications services spectrum for future network rollouts.
To access the high-speed wireless network, users need either a PCMCIA card with a small antenna they can insert into their laptop, or a desktop unit that plugs into the back of a regular computer. Schultz said Burst is looking to eventually integrate the modem into the devices so customers are immediately connected to the network as soon as the device is turned on.
Compton said the service is a data-only offering. Burst is not interested in providing data to some people and voice to others.
“In providing that data service we believe customers will want a flat-rate, all-you-can-eat service,” Compton said.
Customers can choose what access speeds they want and will be charged according to the data rate. Neither Compton nor Schultz would say exactly what Burst will charge per month for the equipment and service, but they did indicate it will be comparable to a Ricochet or DSL service, and the modem will cost about as much as a cellular phone, the price of which also is dependent on the chosen data speed.
Burst’s service should be available in most major cities through third-party retailers and the Internet.
“We’re really going to be targeting around where people live and go to work, but not necessarily the highways and byways … so we’re going to be a little more targeted in how we deploy our footprint for the service,” said Schultz.
Based in Seattle, Burst Wireless was founded last year by executives from Nextlink Communications Corp. and McCaw Cellular Communications Corp., and it is led by George Tronsrue, former president and chief operating officer of Nextlink.
