ALPS' first product in development is a MiniPCI-compatible 802.11a Communication Module, called the UGJ Series, which is expected to be available in spring 2002. Measuring just 60mm (W) x 45mm (D) x 5mm (H), this tiny card-sized device can be easily plugged into any PC. ALPS also has future plans to develop 802.11a access points and PCMCIA cards using the Atheros AR5000 chipset.

"The 802.11a standard offers the performance of wired systems but without the disadvantages of wires," said Katsumi Tobita, division manager, RF Devices Division at ALPS. "Atheros' technology is making it possible for ALPS to deliver faster WLAN capabilities to our customers based on 802.11a. This is a significant move for us because this technology will help people realize and benefit from a true multimedia environment that's completely wireless."

"We are very pleased to be working with ALPS on development of next-generation WLAN solutions," said Mark Bercow, vice president of Marketing at Atheros Communications. "The high-speed, high-capacity benefits of 802.11a make this technology a competitive alternative to existing wired systems within enterprise facilities, and the integration of miniPCI solutions integrated into laptops will help to make this pervasive and cost-effective."

The Atheros AR5000 solution provides full wireless networking connectivity compliant with the 802.11a (Wi-Fi5) standard. The highly integrated two-chip set is comprised of the world's first complete 5GHz "Radio-on-a-Chip" (RoC) and MAC/baseband processor fabricated exclusively in standard digital CMOS. By packing a complete wireless LAN solution into two chips, the AR5000 chipset delivers cost-effective, robust connectivity at far higher data rates than were previously possible. The chipset supports all 802.11a data rates up to 54 Mbps, and enables connection speeds up to 72 Mbps in Atheros Turbo Mode(TM).

About Atheros Communications

Atheros Communications was founded in 1998 by leading experts in radio and signal processing from Stanford University, the University of California at Berkeley, and private industry. Atheros' mission is to provide wireless networking technologies that drive transparent connections between all computing, communications, audio and video devices. Funded by August Capital, Fidelity Management & Research Company, Foundation Capital, New Enterprise Associates an others, Atheros has raised a total of $98.3 million in three rounds of funding. The company currently employs over 140 people and has filed more than 45 wireless technology patents.

For press and analyst inquiries contact: Cheryl Patstone, 408-773-5344, cheryl@atheros.com or Greg Wood, A&R Partners, 650-762-2838, gwood@arpartners.com.