Atheros Communications Joins Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance to Lead Next Generation Wireless LAN Interoperability

Business Wire, May 9, 2000

Business Editors and High-Tech Writers

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 9, 2000

Atheros Communications, Inc., a leader in standards-based 5-GHz wireless local-area-networking, has joined the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA). WECA is dedicated to interoperability of wireless LAN products supporting the IEEE 802.11 standard, and Atheros has joined the organization to lead the efforts on next generation interoperability.

"WECA and the Wi-Fi(TM) logo are recognized as the gold standards for interoperability of 11 Mbps wireless LAN products operating at 2.4-GHz," stated Rich Redelfs, president and CEO of Atheros. "As wireless LANs continue to gain momentum, it is increasingly important to stress the adoption of standards into next generation, higher speed solutions as well. We look forward to working with WECA to drive its vision for wireless LAN interoperability into the 5-GHz solutions space, operating at 54 Mbps and beyond," added Redelfs.

WECA chairman Phil Bellanger stated, "The 5-GHz IEEE 802.11a technology-based products will be an important part of the evolution of wireless LANs. WECA is pleased to have Atheros' commitment to helping us prepare for interoperability testing for future generations of wireless LAN solutions."

In addition to supporting the existing IEEE 802.11aHR standards for 5-GHz wireless LANs, Atheros has recently proposed extensions to the IEEE and ETSI HiperLAN II specifications which would allow for multimedia support, higher-speeds and interoperability with low-speed, low-power devices under a single 5-GHz unified-protocol (5-UP(TM)). It is Atheros' desire that WECA support interoperability testing for the IEEE extensions after the extensions have become widely adopted standards.

About Atheros Communications, Inc.

Atheros is a new fabless semiconductor company dedicated to delivering the most cost-effective wireless LAN technology for scalable communications, from low-speeds to those exceeding 100 Mbps in the 5-GHz radio band. Atheros' vision is to enable the wireless future by providing transparent connectivity among all computing, voice, audio, video and Internet access devices on an enterprise LAN, in the small office or at home.

To achieve this vision of ubiquitous, interoperable wireless connectivity between many different classes of devices, Atheros seeks to provide low-cost, high-bandwidth, low-power technology based on industry standards. The Company is initially focused on developing chipsets based on the IEEE802.11a and HiperLAN II standards, but is also proposing standards enhancements for the future. Atheros' proposed enhancements will enable higher bandwidth, support multimedia, and allow interoperable scalability between low-speed and high-speed devices.

For more information on Atheros Communications, Inc., visit http://www.atheros.com/, call 1.650.494.7878, or mailto:info@atheros.com.

Note to Editors: 5-UP and Atheros are trademarks of Atheros Communications, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.