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Atheros Communications and China Netcom Broadband to Enhance Broadband User Experience in China

Posted on: Monday, 25 July 2005, 18:00 CDT

SANTA CLARA, Calif., July 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Atheros Communications, Inc. , a leading developer of advanced wireless solutions, and China Netcom Broadband Corporation Ltd. (CNCBB), the leading broadband service provider to residents, businesses and hotspots in China, today announced the joint development of high-bandwidth wireless LAN (WLAN) services to support data, video and Voice-over-WLAN (VoWLAN) applications. Atheros' highly integrated single chip 802.11g access point solution, the AR5006AP-G, will be featured in CNCBB's new access points and routers providing improved wireless connectivity for businesses and consumers throughout China.

The two companies will provide fast and reliable wireless connectivity using 802.11g WLAN technology to enable wider access to broadband applications such as video, games, music and other rich content on the go.

From earlier this year, CNCBB has been engaging in establishing its Broadband Wireless Industry Alliance, which brings together leading domestic and foreign equipment manufacturers, terminal vendors, service integrators and content providers to provide a full portfolio of broadband wireless services through WLAN connectivity. By adding Atheros' high performance WLAN solution, CNCBB will be able to offer enhanced broadband wireless services to China's increasingly mobile computing population. In 2003, the number of cell phone users in China, over 250 million, surpassed fixed line users.(1)

"Staying connected anywhere, anytime, is a requirement of today's broadband users," said Dr. Hui Tang, Chief engineer of CNCBB. "We are committed to providing a high-quality and feature-rich broadband user experience. Atheros' wireless LAN solution offers our customers even greater flexibility with how they access the most advanced broadband network in China."

Atheros is also supporting CNCBB's new wireless initiative, CLAN, which offers cellular performance using WLAN technologies to ensure complete coverage in large hotspots, buildings and enterprises. Using Atheros-enabled wireless access points and routers, CNCBB will support VoWLAN applications via dual-mode and single-mode WiFi phones. The applications require dedicated bandwidth to support voice traffic as well as advanced hand-off and quality of service (QoS) features to ensure the integrity of VoWLAN calls is the same as wired calls.

Atheros' solutions offer the latest quality of service (QoS) features including support for both prioritized and polled QoS for delivering wired- quality video and audio content via a wireless connection.

"The new networking demands created by multimedia applications require high bandwidth wireless solutions that are capable of reliably supporting video, audio and voice traffic as well as standard data," said Craig Barratt, president and chief executive officer of Atheros. "CNCBB provides the complete broadband package to their users from business and consumer access to rich broadband applications. We are pleased to be working with CNCBB to further the adoption of broadband services by integrating our high performance wireless LAN technology with the CNCBB network to serve the very large and growing China market."

About China Netcom Broadband Co., Ltd. (CNCBB)

China Netcom Broadband Corporation Ltd. (hereafter CNCBB) is a market oriented company and focus on the investment and operating management of broadband access and broadband value added services.

CNCBB commits to fully operate broadband access, enriching the content with some local broadband MAN, such as Hangzhou, Ningbo, Yangzhou, Chongqing etc. CNCBB aims at developing and investing in the operation of the business of communications, entertainment and media based on broadband internet. CNCBB will fully implement the management and service functions for customers and the ASPs, relying on its own platform of channel system and interconnect and application business supporting system based on IP network. For more information, visit http://www.cncbb.com/

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.

Atheros is a registered trademark of Atheros Communications, Inc. Other names used are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:

Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release, including the features, performance and benefits of Atheros' and China Netcom's products; and the relationship between Atheros and China Netcom, 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 China Netcom continues to incorporate Atheros' products into China Netcom's products; whether China Netcom is successful in deploying and growing wireless networks; manufacturing difficulties; difficulties in development of enhanced and new products; whether the market in China for WLAN-enabled products grows; general economic conditions, particularly in China; the effects of regulation of wireless markets in China; and other risks detailed in Atheros' Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2005 as filed with the SEC, 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.

(1) Source: Ministry of Information Industry, China, January 2005

Atheros Communications, Inc.

CONTACT: Susan Lansing of Atheros Communications, +1-408-773-5216 orsusan@atheros.com; or Meera Agarwal of A&R Partners, +1-650-762-2818 ormagarwal@arpartners.com, for Atheros

Web site: http://www.atheros.com/

Source: PRNewswire-FirstCall

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