Novatel Wireless Partners with Vodafone Spain to Deliver the Country's First Quad Band UMTS 3G PC Card Modems; Merlin U630 Provides Vodafone Spain Customers with Portable, High-Speed Broadband Access Worldwide

SAN DIEGO & MADRID, Spain, Apr 12, 2005 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Novatel Wireless, Inc. (Nasdaq:NVTL), a leading provider of wireless broadband access solutions, today announced it will supply its Merlin U630(TM) PC Data Cards to Vodafone Spain, one of Southern Europe's largest wireless carriers. Novatel Wireless will provide Vodafone Spain with the country's first quad band Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service (UMTS) Wireless PC Card Modem, enabling its 10.9 million customers to access wireless high-speed broadband worldwide. Novatel Wireless' Merlin U630 is immediately available to Vodafone Spain subscribers.

Vodafone Spain will market the Merlin U630 as the Mobile Connect Datacard, the first wireless quad band PC Card in Spain. Vodafone customers can access data on UMTS 2100 MHz bands in Asia, Africa, Europe and the Middle East and GSM/GPRS 900/1800/1900 MHz bands across the globe. Mobile workers are able to wirelessly send and receive emails, access the Internet and download attachments at speeds of up to 384 kilobits per second. 3G subscribers can remotely retrieve information on corporate networks that are stored behind firewalls, allowing users to continuously stay in contact with co-workers, customers and partners even when out of the office. The mobile connectivity provided by the Merlin U630 boosts productivity, improves efficiency and provides businesses with a significant competitive advantage.

"Laptop connectivity is in strong demand by our subscriber base and we are pleased to offer the Merlin U630 to provide mobility not only in Spain, but worldwide," said Carlos Becker, 3G Product Manager at Vodafone Spain. "3G data access is changing the way we work and live, and Vodafone Spain is committed to being at the forefront of this technological advancement."

"We are pleased to add Vodafone Spain to our growing list of next-generation UMTS customers, further expanding global access to 3G data services," said Rob Hadley, senior vice president of worldwide sales and marketing at Novatel Wireless. "Equipped with our Merlin U630, mobile workers are now able to carry a single UMTS data card to gain high-speed broadband access to multiple networks and continents worldwide. Launching the first quad band PC Card is testament to Novatel Wireless' strong leadership in the 3G industry."

Novatel Wireless is the global leader in UMTS PC Card sales with Merlin UMTS PC Cards available from 15 operators in 18 countries throughout Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and North America.

ABOUT NOVATEL WIRELESS, INC.

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).

(C) 2005 Novatel Wireless. All rights reserved. The Novatel Wireless logo, Merlin, Merlin U630, Expedite, Freedom Box, MobiLink, Ovation, and Conversa are trademarks of Novatel Wireless, Inc. Other product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.

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, as amended to date. 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 contained herein. These factors include risks relating to technological changes, new product introductions, 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 (available at www.sec.gov) and other regulatory agencies.

SOURCE: Novatel Wireless, Inc.

LEWIS PR
Katie Assar/Noah Dye, 619-516-2559
[email protected]

Copyright Business Wire 2005

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