SUNNYVALE, Calif., November 28, 2000 - Atheros Communications, Inc., today announced that it has agreed to help define specifications, and participate in a royalty-free intellectual property rights (IPR) pool, for the proposed CableLabs® CableHome™ initiative to bridge cable and networking technologies within the home.

As a wireless networking company, Atheros™ is providing next generation system technologies for high-speed, low-cost connectivity within homes and offices. Offering speeds up to 54Mbps and beyond, Atheros wireless systems make bandwidth-intensive multimedia applications such as video distribution throughout the home a reality. Additionally, the high-level of integration in Atheros systems will help make wireless more affordable for the end-user.

"By joining this effort in the beginning, along with companies like Intel, 3Com, Conexant and Broadcom, Atheros will help define an important industry specification," states Mark Bercow, vice president of Marketing for Atheros. "In addition, providing technology to manufacturers who wish to integrate high-speed, low-cost wireless networking into their cable-enabled solutions will ultimately give consumers the robust, standardized products they want in their homes."

The CableHome initiative seeks to define a common set of operational guidelines and technical requirements to which any company can build cable-enabled, home networking products. By offering the CableHome interfaces on a royalty-free basis to those who sign the agreement, the uncertainties vendors may encounter in producing CableHome-compliant products will be reduced.

Atheros, along with over a dozen other key companies, will help CableLabs draft this specific set of universal guidelines. The end goal is to bridge cable with home networking technologies, enabling the effortless distribution of broadband cable services and providing consumers with reliable and interoperable solutions.

The CableHome guidelines will be released in stages, beginning in the first quarter of 2001. The primary stage will allow vendors to build home networking products for the delivery of the following cable-enabled services throughout the home:
- DOCSIS high-speed data over cable services
- PacketCable voice over IP services
- OpenCable digital video services

Other companies signing the agreement are:
3Com, Adaptive Networks, Arris Interactive, Broadband Home, Broadcom, Cisco Systems, Conexant Systems, DoBox, HighSpeed Surfing, Intel, Intersil, Magis Networks, Navic Systems, Philips Digital Video, Proxim, ShareWave, and Terayon Communication Systems.

About CableLabs

CableLabs is a non-profit research and development consortium of cable television system operators representing the continents of North American and South America. CableLabs plans and funds research and development projects that will help cable companies take advantage of future opportunities and meet future challenges in the cable television industry. The Organization also transfers relevant technologies to member companies and to the industry. In addition, CableLabs acts as a clearinghouse to provide information on current and prospective technological developments that are of interest to the cable industry.

About Atheros Communications, Inc.

Atheros Communications was founded in May 1998 by leading experts in radio and signal processing from Stanford University, the University of California at Berkeley, and private industry. The company's founding mission is to provide wireless networking technologies that drive transparent connections among all computing, audio and video devices in the office and the home. Funded by venture capital firms August Capital, Foundation Capital and New Enterprise Associates, Atheros currently employs over 75 people and has filed more than 20 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.