WHY RICOCHET SUCKS (Score 1)

Quick hitlist of why Metricom was destined to fail: 1. Metricom is not using a true broadband wireless, it's a lower range product that doesn't fall under the FCC's regulation of spectrum. Hence, they have no valuable spectrum assets and their technology approach is very proprietary (read: high cost to deploy and maintain). 2. 2.5 G Wireless is being rolled out at the end of Q2 and will offer 56k + in a TRUE high speed broadband wireless format. This means that their window of opportunity is really very narrow and that major competition (voicestream and sprint PCS) will soon be here. 3. Failure to recognize the rise of PDAs. Metricom always targetted laptop users when PDAs were the way to go. How do you make $$ w/ wireless devices w/o supporting Palm in north america? 4. Shitty contract w/ their partners (Worldcom). Worldcom gave them a take-or-pay contract for $390 M. That deal (which is available online in MCOM's SEC filings) always worldcom to walk away from Metricom for almost any reason they want. Metricom will have a last hurrah in Atlanta, where Worldcom has guaranteed $3 M in advertising. If they don't get big traction there, there will be a lack of proof for any supporter to step in and give them cash. And even if they did get cash... all the existing shareholders would definitely get a bad deal. I bet they would get diluted down horribly. Bonds have been trading for 20 cents on the dollar. cc --- short MCOM