In late July, wireless Internet provider Metricom launched services in San Diego County, one of the first areas to benefit from Metricom's nationwide expansion. Or, in areas without cable modem or DSL access, Metricom may be the fastest way to connect a desktop computer to the Internet. The San Diego service area stretches from Imperial Beach to Oceanside, and as far inland as Poway and El Cajon. Also in July, Sprint Inc. began offering San Diegans its wireline broadband Internet and phone service. Called Sprint ION, the service delivers the Internet at up to 8 megabits per second downstream and 1 megabit per second upstream, along with up to four phone lines and 750 minutes of U.S. long-distance service.
Customers can make voice calls even while using the Internet.
The cost for San Diego has not been announced. Residences will be eligible for the service first, then small businesses. The company says voice and data signals are transmitted between nearby base stations and a small antenna installed on the outside of a customer's home. A wire connection is made from the antenna to a digital control unit in the home. The control unit is then connected to an existing inside phone wiring jack and an AC power supply outlet.