City of San Jose approves right of way for Metricom's wireless data network.

LOS GATOS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--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 already partially deployed in Silicon Valley and several other Bay Area cities.

The City of Cupertino, for example, uses 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 networks. 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. -0-

NOTE TO EDITORS: Metricom is a registered trademark of Metricom, Inc. Ricochet, MCDN and MicroCellular Data Network are trademarks of Metricom, Inc.

CONTACT: Metricom, Inc.

Sandy Gordon, 408/399-8165

Ulevich & Orrange, Inc.

William Orrange or Janis Ulevich, 415/329-1590