Atheros Appoints Dr. Sam Endy as Vice President and General Manager to Lead Mobile Wireless Business Unit

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 27, 2006 – Atheros Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATHR), a leading developer of advanced wireless solutions, today announced the appointment of Dr. Sam Endy to the newly created position of vice president and general manager of the company’s Mobile Wireless Business Unit. Endy has more than 20 years of experience in wireless technology and will lead Atheros’ business efforts in the mobile wireless market. He will report to President and Chief Executive Officer Craig Barratt.

Atheros’ Mobile Wireless Business Unit is chartered to drive the broad adoption of the company’s expanding wireless technologies to OEMs, ODMs and carriers serving the large and rapidly growing worldwide mobile wireless market. Atheros’ Radio-on-Chip for Mobile (ROCm®) technology, the first family of embedded solutions to be offered by this new division, enables wireless LAN connectivity for cellular and VoIP handsets, media players, digital cameras and gaming devices, and has already achieved a strong position with leading global customers and partners.

“The addition of Sam Endy to our team brings the business focus and leadership that will drive Atheros’ expanding opportunities,” said Craig Barratt, president and chief executive officer of Atheros. “Sam’s extensive management experience and track record in growing successful companies further solidifies our position as a leading provider of wireless solutions in the rapidly developing mobile communications and consumer markets.”

“Atheros, with its unmatched success and capabilities in wireless technology, has an enviable array of business opportunities,” said Sam Endy, vice president and general manager of the mobile wireless business unit for Atheros. “I am excited to be part of the team that is leading wireless technology and look forward to working with our valued customers and partners to create leading-edge mobile solutions.”

Endy was most recently president and chief executive officer of TeleCIS Wireless, a leading developer of broadband wireless access chipset technology. He oversaw the company’s introduction of a MIMO-ready WiMAX System-on-a-Chip to enable portable handheld subscriber devices. Prior to joining TeleCIS, Endy was president and chief executive officer of ArrayComm where he led the implementation of broadband wireless and smart antennas in PHS, GSM, WCDMA and WiMAX systems and cultivated successful relationships with top-tier mobile carriers and system vendors worldwide. Prior to ArrayComm, Endy was chief operating officer of International Wireless where he oversaw investments in, and development of, 10 mobile wireless carriers in Asia and Latin America. He was recently re-elected as vice chairman of the PHS MOU, the PHS/PAS industry association.

Prior to his work in the wireless industry, Endy was corporate vice president of operations at Sprint where he oversaw the activation and operation of its worldwide network. He has also enjoyed a distinguished leadership career in the U.S. Army in a variety of combat, Pentagon and academic positions. Endy completed his military service as a tenured professor and deputy head of electrical engineering at the U.S. Military Academy. He is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and earned master’s and doctorate degrees in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University.

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. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the sole property of their respective owners.

NOTE ON FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:

Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release, including the anticipated success of the Company’s Mobile Wireless Business Unit in driving broad adoption of Atheros’ ROCm and other wireless technologies in the mobile wireless and consumer markets 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 rate of growth of the mobile wireless and consumer markets and the demand for WLAN connectivity in mobile and consumer applications; the effects of competing technologies; the effects of competition in the WLAN market; difficulties in developing and manufacturing new and enhanced products and technologies; general economic conditions; and other risks detailed in Atheros’ Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005 and its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2006, 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.