New Team for HSDPA End-to-End Solutions: Siemens and Novatel Wireless Set up Marketing and Development Partnership for HSDPA

MUNICH, Germany & SAN DIEGO, Sep 14, 2005 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Siemens Communications and Novatel Wireless, Inc. (Nasdaq:NVTL), a leading provider of wireless broadband access solutions, have agreed to work together on producing end-to-end solutions for High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), the next generation upgrade to the UMTS standard. Under the terms of the agreement, Siemens will offer its leading HSDPA infrastructure with Novatel Wireless as the preferred partner for the associated PC cards on a global basis. Also on the agenda are joint marketing activities and the joint development of new products for HSDPA end-to-end solutions.

"To ensure the economic success of HSDPA," comments Christoph Caselitz, President of Mobile Networks at Siemens Communications, "it is absolutely essential that the high speed devices are commercially available at the same time as the infrastructure is installed. The portfolio of devices may include PC cards, embedded modules for notebooks and convergence solutions. Two of the leading suppliers in the HSDPA sector, Siemens and Novatel Wireless are now pooling their strengths to provide wireless carriers with a tested end-to-end-solution for HSDPA."

"Through our partnership with Siemens, Novatel Wireless is at the forefront of ensuring both wireless carriers and consumers receive the increased speed and productivity benefits offered by HSDPA networks," said Peter Leparulo, chief executive officer for Novatel Wireless. "As a pioneer in providing high-speed wireless broadband access solutions, Novatel Wireless is focusing its efforts on next-generation HSDPA to ensure faster data delivery. We are pleased to join forces with Siemens, enabling operators to benefit from a rigorously tested, complete end-to-end HSDPA solution."

The HSDPA end-to-end solution from Siemens and Novatel Wireless currently supports the loading of data to mobile devices at speeds of up to 1.8 megabits per second. This corresponds roughly to the speed possible today in fixed networks with DSL.

As one of the first suppliers to offer a complete commercial HSDPA solution comprising network components and data cards, Siemens is the market leader in the 3G sector. According to MultiMedia Research Institute, Worldwide W-CDMA Cellular Base Station Market Report, Tokyo 2005, more than 30 percent of the 3G base stations (NodeBs) commercially used worldwide by mobile phone operators are produced by Siemens and NEC. This corresponds to coverage of 90 percent of all 3G users around the world. Among the reasons for the ranking of the NodeB 880, the third generation of Siemens UMTS base stations, as the technological market leader are its high channel capacity, scalable carrier density, flexible range of applications and unique receiver sensitivity (source: Current Analysis Report, July 2005).

Novatel Wireless has the broadest HSDPA data product portfolio in the market place, including PC cards, mini-PCI modules, Express cards and Ovation consoles. The diversified product portfolio addresses the mobile enterprise market, the embedded laptop market and the fixed/mobile convergence market. Novatel Wireless was first to commercialize UMTS PC cards both in Europe and North America, and its Merlin PC data cards are currently available from 23 operators in 27 countries throughout Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe, the Middle East and North America. Novatel Wireless demonstrated its HSDPA PC cards earlier this year at the CeBit trade show in Hanover, Germany. Samples of the HSDPA U740 and U730 cards for Europe and North America are currently available to Novatel Wireless customers worldwide.

Novatel Wireless, Inc. is a leading provider of wireless broadband access solutions. Novatel Wireless' Merlin(TM) PC Cards, Expedite(TM) Embedded Modems, Freedom Box(TM) Ruggedized Modems, MobiLink(TM) Communications Software Suite, Ovation(TM) 3G Multimedia Application Consoles and Conversa(TM) Software Suite enable high-speed wireless access to personal, corporate and public information. The company delivers innovative 3G solutions to operators, distributors and vertical markets worldwide. Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., Novatel Wireless is listed on NASDAQ: NVTL. For more information, visit www.novatelwireless.com. (NVTLG)

Siemens Communications is one of the largest players in the global telecommunications industry. Siemens is the only provider in the market that offers its customers a full-range portfolio, from devices for end users to complex network infrastructures for enterprises and carriers as well as related services. Siemens Communications is the world's innovation leader in convergent technologies, products and services for wireless, fixed and enterprise networks. It is the largest Group within Siemens and operates in more than 160 countries around the world. In fiscal 2004 (year-end September 30), its 60,000-strong workforce posted sales of approximately 18 billion euros.

More about Siemens Communications at http://www.siemens.com/communications.

SOURCE: Novatel Wireless, Inc.

LEWIS PR (for Novatel Wireless)
Katie Assar/Noah Dye, 619-516-2559
[email protected]
or
Siemens Communications
Marion Bludszuweit, +49-89 722 37326
[email protected]

Copyright Business Wire 2005

News Provided by COMTEX