Atheros’ Dual-band WLAN Access Point Receives Wi-Fi Certification, Is Selected for New Wi-Fi Alliance WMM Test Bed

WMM Power Save Increases Battery Life in Mobile Handheld Devices

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Dec. 6, 2005 – Atheros Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATHR), a leading developer of advanced wireless solutions, today announced that its dual-band, concurrent wireless LAN (WLAN) access point (AP) reference design, Atheros AR5002AP-2X, has been Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ for WMM™ (Wi-Fi Multimedia) Power Save by the Wi-Fi Alliance. The dual-band AP solution has also been chosen for inclusion in the new WMM Power Save certification test bed.

WMM Power Save is an expansion of the WMM program, which provides Quality of Service (QoS) for wireless networks. This advanced WLAN capability features mechanisms included in the IEEE 802.11e standard and is an enhancement of IEEE 802.11 legacy power save. WMM Power Save is designed to provide robust battery power management for handheld devices such as phone handsets and other small mobile devices. The Wi-Fi Alliance began Wi-Fi certification for WMM Power Save on Dec. 6, 2005.

“WMM Power Save is a key technology that will enable handsets and other battery-powered devices to operate with significant improvements on Wi-Fi networks. A growing increase in wireless VoIP and video application use will result in more types of devices connecting to the WLAN in homes and offices. Organizations like Atheros that support this initiative are clearly committed to standards that benefit the industry. We look forward to their support in further deploying WMM Power Save solutions,” said Wi-Fi Alliance Managing Director, Frank Hanzlik.

Atheros’ AR5002AP-2X 802.11a and 802.11g dual-band, concurrent WLAN AP reference design will be used to test 802.11g or 802.11a/g products that are submitted for certification of WMM Power Save. Wi-Fi CERTIFIED for WMM Power Save products increase battery life in small-form factor devices by enabling an advanced set of features for Wi-Fi networks – including improved signaling capabilities and fine-tuned power consumption – that increase the efficiency and flexibility of data transmission in order to conserve power. Atheros’ AR5002AP-2X, the WLAN market’s leading  concurrent dual-band AP solution, is also used by the Wi-Fi Alliance in their test beds for 802.11a, 802.11g, WPA2 and WMM.

“The growth of Wi-Fi technology into the embedded and consumer electronics markets creates new opportunities and challenges. We believe the Wi-Fi Alliance is laying an important foundation for interoperability of smartphones, handhelds and other small devices on Wi-Fi networks,” said Mark Hung, director of strategic marketing for Atheros. “By certifying the devices for these power saving features, the Wi-Fi Alliance will enable consumers to more easily find wireless products with better battery life characteristics. Atheros fully supports the latest WMM Power Save features and the company will continue to innovate in areas that help us to deliver a richer wireless user experience.”

WMM Power Save has been optimized for small-form factor, battery-operated devices running latency-sensitive applications such as voice, audio, or video, but can benefit any Wi-Fi device. With WMM Power Save, the same amount of data can be wirelessly transmitted in a shorter time while allowing the Wi-Fi device to remain longer in a low-power mode of operation.

For more information about WLAN products that are WMM Power Save certified please visit www.wi-fi.org/certificate.

About Atheros Communications, Inc.

Atheros Communications is a leading developer of semiconductor system solutions for wireless communications products. Atheros combines its wireless systems expertise with high-performance radio frequency (RF), mixed signal and digital semiconductor design skills to provide highly integrated chipsets that are manufacturable on low-cost, standard complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) processes. Atheros technology is being used by a broad base of leading customers, including personal computer and networking equipment manufacturers. For more information, visit www.atheros.com or send email to info@atheros.com.

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Atheros and the Atheros logo are trademarks of Atheros Communications, Inc. WMM Power Save and Wi-Fi CERTIFIED are trademarks of the Wi-Fi Alliance. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the sole property of their respective owners.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:

Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, including, but not limited to, the risks detailed in Atheros’ Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2005 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and in other reports filed with the SEC by Atheros from time to time. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. Atheros disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.