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WirelessDevNet.com Press Release
Atheros Communications to Deliver Next-Generation of Wireless LAN Products
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 10 -- Atheros
Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATHR), a leading developer of advanced wireless
solutions, announced endorsement of the Enhanced Wireless Consortium (EWC)
and its efforts to accelerate resolution of the 802.11n wireless LAN (WLAN)
standard. Atheros, a founding member of the EWC, plans to deliver chipsets
based on the new WLAN specification introduced today by the EWC. The group's
proposal provides a blueprint for WLAN semiconductor manufacturers to develop
chipsets for interoperable, high performance WLAN products. Other EWC members
include Airoha, Apple, Azimuth, Broadcom, Buffalo, Cisco, Conexant, D-Link,
Intel, Lenovo, Linksys, LitePoint, Marvell, Metalink, NETGEAR, Ralink,
Realtek, SANYO, Sony, Symbol Technologies, Toshiba, USRobotics, WildPackets,
Winbond and ZyDAS, with additional members expected to join the consortium.
In developing the specification, Atheros and other EWC members assembled
leading technology components from the TGn Sync and WWiSE proposals currently
before the IEEE 802.11n Task Group. The EWC specification merges features that
have widespread support into a single proposal. Atheros, also a member of the
TGn Sync group, worked closely with EWC members who participate in WWiSE to
develop this unified specification. A goal of the EWC is to secure support
from both TGn Sync and WWiSE to present a united proposal to the IEEE 802.11n
Task Group that will accelerate the adoption of an interoperable, high-
performance WLAN standard.
Atheros chipsets that meet the unified specification will initially
provide physical layer data rates up to 300 megabits-per-second (Mbps) with
unmatched coverage and wireless link reliability approaching wired Ethernet.
These extraordinary performance capabilities will enable consumers to create
wireless home networks that support simultaneous sharing of broadband Internet
subscriptions among multiple users, transmission of bandwidth-intensive
content and real-time applications such as Voice-over-IP (VoIP), gaming and
streaming media. It is expected that Atheros-based end products offering these
capabilities will be available to consumers as early as the first quarter of
2006. Atheros will also deliver chipsets supporting the higher EWC data rate
(up to 600 Mbps) and optimized solutions for handheld mobile devices.
Many of the technical elements contained in the EWC specification have
been implemented and refined in previous Atheros solutions: 20/40 MHz dynamic
bandwidth operation, multiple 2.4 and 5 GHz dual-band radios, packet
aggregation, packet bursting and MIMO techniques, including beamforming and
maximal ratio combining (MRC). Given this depth of experience, Atheros is
well-positioned to quickly deliver superior solutions for EWC-compliant WLAN
devices.
"We endorse the EWC efforts and expect the merged specification to
accelerate the 802.11n standards process. Atheros will enable our customers to
achieve the fastest time to market with the next generation of interoperable,
wireless networking products based on the unified specification," said Craig
Barratt, president and chief executive officer of Atheros Communications. "We
are leveraging our market-leading technology and CMOS integration expertise to
deliver reliable, high-bandwidth wireless connectivity throughout the home,
enterprise and mobile environments."
For more details about the Enhanced Wireless Consortium, please refer to
http://www.enhancedwirelessconsortium.org.
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, networking equipment
and handset manufacturers. For more information, visit http://www.atheros.com or send
email to info@atheros.com.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT:
Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set
forth in this press release, including the expected features, performance and
benefits of Atheros' products and technology developed to the EWC's proposed
802.11n specification; the anticipated effects and benefits of the adoption of
the EWC specification in the WLAN industry and by the IEEE 802.11n Task Group;
the ability of Atheros customers to achieve the fastest time to market with
the next generation of interoperable, wireless networking products based on
the unified EWC specification; Atheros' successful development of solutions
based on the EWC specification; and the availability of Atheros-based products
with enhanced performance capabilities in the first quarter of 2006; and
Atheros' successful development of solutions based on the EWC specification,
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 impact of competitive products and
technological advances; whether the EWC is successful in obtaining the support
of the TGn Sync and WWiSE consortiums, and the IEEE, for the EWC
specification; whether and in what form the EWC specification is adopted by
the IEEE and the WLAN industry; whether elements of Atheros' current solutions
will be components of the 802.11n standard specification that is eventually
adopted; the timing of industry and IEEE adoption of an 802.11n standard
specification; whether 802.11n products will be successful in the market and
will be adopted in new applications; unforeseen defects in the development of
Atheros' 802.11n products; manufacturing difficulties; difficulties in
development of enhanced and new products; whether Atheros is successful in
marketing its 802.11n products; and other risks detailed in Atheros' Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 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.
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