Atheros Surpasses 1 Million in Monthly Shipments of 802.11b/g and 802.11a/b/g Wireless LAN Chips

Enterprise and Home Users Fuel Growth of New Wireless LAN Technologies

SUNNYVALE, Calif., July 28, 2003—Atheros Communications, the leading developer and market share leader in advanced multi-band wireless LAN chipsets, broke the 1-million unit mark in monthly shipments of its 802.11b/g and 802.11a/b/g WLAN chips in June, signaling the rapid adoption of the company’s third generation wireless LAN solutions. This milestone highlights the increasing market momentum in the enterprise, retail, PC OEM, and consumer electronics markets for Atheros’ advanced wireless LAN technologies including new multi-mode 802.11a/b/g and 802.11b/g-based products.

The market is quickly transitioning from legacy 802.11b products with limited data transfer rates of 11Mbps, and adopting Atheros multi-mode 802.11b/g and universal 802.11a/b/g products that enable speeds of 54Mbps and up. In addition all of these WLAN chipsets support Atheros’ Super G® and Super AG® features, which allow TCP/IP throughput up to 90Mbps. The new Atheros 802.11b/g and 802.11a/b/g chips can be found in a wide range of products available throughout the world including enterprise access points, retail PC Cards and home gateways, mini-PCI cards embedded in laptops from the leading PC OEMs, and integrated into consumer electronics products.

“More and more consumers are opting for 54Mbps WLAN products,” said Mike Feibus, principal analyst at TechKnowledge Strategies, Inc., of Scottsdale, Ariz. “And now that the 802.11g specification is finalized and the Wi-Fi Alliance is certifying 802.11g-based products, enterprise customers are beginning to join the wave by selecting WLAN hardware with higher data rates. This includes 802.11b/g as well as 802.11a/b/g products.”

802.11b/g WLAN products deliver data rates up to 54Mbps in the 2.4 GHz frequency range. 802.11a/b/g WLAN products also support the 5 GHz frequency range, and provide five to seven times as many channels for corporate and public hot spot applications. Both 802.11b/g and 802.11a/b/g products provide the highest Wi-Fi performance possible while maintaining backwards compatibility with existing 802.11b wireless products. With 802.11a/b/g, users also benefit from seamless worldwide roaming between any 802.11-based network at work, at home, or in public hot spots.

“Evidenced by our rapidly increasing monthly sales figures, multi-mode 802.11b/g and 802.11a/b/g products are in high demand by our customers because of the performance, security and integration advantages that Atheros’ third generation solutions provide,” said Craig Barratt, president and chief executive officer of Atheros. “Atheros is committed to helping its customers rapidly introduce the most advanced wireless communications devices available today.”

About Atheros Communications, Inc.

Atheros Communications is a leading developer of networking technologies for secure, high-performance wireless local area networks. As an innovator in advanced multi-mode wireless solutions compliant with the IEEE 802.11 specifications, Atheros is driving transparent connections among electronic devices in the office, home and on the road. Atheros technology is being used by many of the world's leading wireless equipment manufacturers including 3Com, Accton, Acer, Acrowave Systems, Actiontec, AIRAYA, Airespace, AirVast Technology, ALPS, Alvarion, Ambit, Aruba Wireless Networks, Askey, ASUS, Avaya, BenQ, Chantry Networks, Contec, CyberTAN, Dacom, Delta Networks, D-Link, Elecom, Fujitsu, Gemtek, Gigabyte Technology, Global Sun Tech, HP, IBM, Icom, Intel, Intermec, I-O Data, IPone, Legend, Linksys, NEC, NETGEAR, Nortel Networks, Philips, Proxim, Samsung, Senao, SMC Networks, Sony, Symbol Technologies, TDK, TECOM, Toshiba, Trapeze Networks, USI, W2 Networks, Wistron NeWeb, Z-Com and others. For more information, visit www.atheros.com or send email to info@atheros.com.

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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.

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