Novatel Wireless Announces First Commercial Shipment of Merlin G100 Wireless PC Cards to Microcell PCS

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - April 11, 2002 - Novatel Wireless, Inc. (Nasdaq:NVTL), a leading provider of wireless data access solutions, today announced the first commercial shipment of the Merlin G100^TM Wireless PC Card Modem to Microcell Solutions Inc., a subsidiary of Microcell Telecommunications Inc. (TSE:MTI.B) (Nasdaq:MICT). Novatel Wireless' Merlin G100 enables wireless GPRS access to the Internet, email, and corporate databases at speeds up to 53.6 kbps. Microcell is a leading Canadian provider of Personal Communications Services under the Fido® brand name with over 1.2 million retail customers in Canada.

"The Merlin G100 makes business customers more productive while away from the office, by providing access to essential applications such as email and corporate databases at speeds comparable to dial-up," said Alain Rhéaume, President and Chief Executive Officer, Microcell PCS. "Fido customers travelling in the US can access the most extensive GPRS coverage available in North America."

"GSM is the dominant digital mobile wireless standard around the world, with over 645 million users globally and 70% global market share, " said John Major, CEO and Chairman of Novatel Wireless. "Microcell is bringing the benefits of GSM and GPRS to over 1 million customers and we are pleased to partner with them with our market leading technology to further the adoption of 2.5G next generation networks."

ABOUT THE MERLIN G100

The Merlin G100 is a single band (1900) wireless PC Card Modem based on GSM/GPRS technology. Slightly larger than a credit card, Merlin G100 slides inside your Type II PC Card slot, providing access to email, corporate databases and the Internet at maximum speeds up to 53.6 kbps in GPRS coverage.

With user-friendly wireless modem manager software, the Merlin G100 is compatible with a wide range of laptops, handheld devices and operating systems including Microsoft Windows 98, 2000, 2002, Millennium Edition, XP and Pocket PC 2000 and 2003.

ABOUT GSM/GPRS

GPRS is an exciting new wireless technology standard which is expected to profoundly alter and improve the data services that can be added to GSM-based personal communications services networks. An over-the-air system for transmitting data on GSM networks, GPRS technology converts data into standard Internet packets, enabling interoperability between the Internet and the GSM network. GSM service providers in North America are aggressively enhancing their service capabilities through the support of GPRS for packet data.

GPRS wireless technology employs extensive authentication and encryption via standard GSM algorithms, making it one of the most secure public wireless systems in the world. The Subscriber Identity Modules (SIM card), a component of the GSM network, stores the authentication and encryption algorithms, making it virtually impossible for unauthorized users to capture and decipher messages.

ABOUT MICROCELL PCS

Microcell PCS is a division of Microcell Telecommunications Inc. Microcell Solutions Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Microcell Telecommunications, is a national provider of PCS and GPRS services under the Fido® brand name. Fido offers businesses and consumers a full array of wireless communications services, including voice and data transmission, text messaging, e-mail and Internet access and international voice roaming capabilities in 100 countries.

Microcell Telecommunications (TSE: MTI.B; Nasdaq: MICT) is a member of the TSE 300, TSE 200 and S&P/TSE Canadian SmallCap indices. Microcell's head office is located in Montréal and the Company employs more than 1,900 people across Canada. For more information, please visit www.microcell.ca or www.fido.ca.

Fido is a registered trademark of Microcell Solutions Inc.

ABOUT NOVATEL WIRELESS, INC.

Novatel Wireless, Inc. is a leading provider of wireless data modems and software for use with handheld computing devices and portable personal computers. The company delivers innovative and comprehensive solutions that enable businesses and consumers to access personal, corporate and public information through email, enterprise networks and the Internet. Novatel Wireless also offers wireless data modems and custom engineering services for hardware integration projects in a wide range of vertical applications. The Novatel Wireless product portfolio includes the Minstrel® Family of Wireless Handheld Modems, Merlin^TM Family of Wireless PC Card Modems, Sage® Wireless Serial Modems, Lancer 3W^TM Family of Ruggedized Modems and Expedite^TM Family of Wireless Embedded Modems. Headquartered in San Diego, California, Novatel Wireless is listed on The Nasdaq Stock Market (Nasdaq: NVTL). For more information, please visit the Novatel Wireless web site: www.novatelwireless.com or call 888-888-9231.

The Novatel Wireless logo, Minstrel, Merlin, Merlin G100, Sage, Lancer 3W and Expedite are trademarks of Novatel Wireless, Inc. Minstrel and Sage are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. All other brands, products and company names mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective holders.

In Regards to Novatel Wireless: This release may contain forward-looking statements, which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. A number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These factors include risks relating to international sales and potential foreign currency exchange fluctuations, technological changes, increased levels of competition, continued acceptance of Novatel Wireless' products and dependence on intellectual property rights. These factors, as well as other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, are discussed in more detail in Novatel Wireless' filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and other regulatory agencies.