Milwaukee cut its ties to technology Monday when it became one of 14 cities to have complete wireless coverage by Verizon Wireless.

Through the company's BroadbandAccess network, Verizon customers can access the Internet anywhere in Milwaukee County.

"It's a great time to be in Milwaukee with this kind of service available," said Jeffrey Nelson, media contact for Verizon Wireless. "This is significantly faster than anything else that's out there today."

The BroadbandAccess system allows 300 to 500 kilobytes of data to be downloaded per second, similar to DSL speed, according to Carolyn Schamberger, Verizon Wireless spokeswoman for Wisconsin and Illinois.

But Randy Gschwind, chief information officer for the mayor's office, said the network is not necessarily the fastest service available.

"Broadband is a term that's tossed around a lot, and generally misused," Gschwind said. "It just means fast."

The speed of the BroadbandAccess network is comparable to the speed of home Internet connections, according to Schamberger.

People "are just thrilled to be able to take speeds that they could normally be able to find at home with their DSL connection and bring it outside the home," Schamberger said.

The access is available to Verizon Wireless customers who have the PC5220 card. The service costs $79.99 for unlimited use, Schamberger said.

Through Dec. 31, the PC5220 card is $99.99 with a two-year plan, or $149.99 with a one-year plan. Schamberger said the card normally costs $249.99.

The service will be extended into Racine and the greater Madison area by the end of the year, Schamberger said.

By the end of the year, BroadbandAccess will cover one-third of the Verizon network, or 75 million people, according to Nelson.

The technology is backward compatible, allowing customers who go outside of the BroadbandAccess area to use the NationalAccess network, which is already in place across most of the nation, Schamberger said. The NationalAccess network is slower, running at speeds of 60 to 80 kilobits a second, she said.

Although the service is primarily geared to business customers, offering access to e-mail, corporate data and complex large files such as PowerPoint presentations, Schamberger said. Verizon would be offering technology to individual consumers by the end of the year.

Gschwind expressed doubts about how beneficial the service will be to Milwaukee residents.

"I don't know how fast the Verizon network will be, how affordable it will be, and whether it is going to be an open network," Gschwind said. "That's really just a new offering, there are a lot of wireless services already available."

For Kelly Pierce, 44, the new technology will not make a difference.

"I don't go on the Internet at all," Pierce said. "I have no use for it yet."

Others, such as Laura Wall, 43, who was outside the Milwaukee County Courthouse Monday, think people will benefit from it.

"If I had Verizon, which I don't … I'm sure occasionally it would be very useful to connect up and get some information," she said.

The service was first offered in Washington, D.C., and San Diego last October, according to Nelson.

Wireless Internet access has been available in Cathedral Square Park and Pere Marquette Park since June 2003, and at Milwaukee Public Libraries since April. Access is also available at various locations on campus, including the Alumni Memorial Union and the John P. Raynor, S.J. Library.

Schamberger said Milwaukee was included because of high customer demand.