LAS VEGAS (January 09, 2003) - Actiontec Electronics today announced a complete family of wireless-enabling products built for the new 802.11g wireless networking standard, delivering data at speeds up to 54 Mbps that nearly quintuple the 11 Mbps available under the widely adopted 802.11b protocol. The line will include a 54 Mbps Wireless Gateway combining an ADSL modem with a wireless networking router — making Actiontec the first to announce a Wireless-G product in this category — as well as a 54 Mbps PC Card, Access Point, Router and Ethernet Adapter that comply with the IEEE 802.11g draft specification.

All Actiontec Wireless-G products will be backward-compatible with Wireless-B devices, permitting their use in homes, businesses and public hotspots that have deployed the older 802.11b infrastructure. This interoperability is possible because both Wireless-B and Wireless-G operate in the 2.4 GHz radio frequency.

The 54 Mbps connectivity will boost browsing and working speeds to near-wired levels as well as deliver the performance required to accommodate high-bandwidth applications such as video conferencing, video on demand, online gaming, and downloading and uploading of large graphic files.

The new Actiontec Wireless-G family debuts at the Winter Consumer Electronics Show that opens today in Las Vegas. The first products in the 54 Mbps line will begin shipping in the February/March timeframe.

“Wireless networks are rapidly becoming the preferred method of networking, sharing Internet access, files, peripherals and online games because they are easier to install and less cumbersome to use than wired networks,” said Dean Chang, Actiontec President and CEO. “The speed of the new Wireless-G equipment will increase the appeal by making wireless connectivity very fast, and the backward compatibility provided by the new standard will eliminate the need for a completely new infrastructure to achieve the speed benefits.”

Key features of Actiontec Wireless-G products will include:

Fast plug-and-play installation and configuration with Actiontec’s exclusive Connection 1-2-3™ and/or the Actiontec Installation Buddy™ software.
Support for the new Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) security standard scheduled for launch this year — with improved data encryption and first-time user authentication — as well as 40-bit WEP, 128 bit RC4 and 152-bit RC4 data encryption.
A unique second PC Card slot in the Actiontec 54 Mbps Wireless Gateway that will support a variety of network-enhancing expansion cards, such as a Bluetooth-based card permitting Internet access for handheld computers.
Support for advanced networking and management features, including SNMP, IP filtering and roaming.
The new products will be available through select mass market retailers and direct from www.actiontec.com.

About Actiontec
Actiontec Electronics, Inc. is a leading supplier of analog and broadband devices designed to facilitate or leverage Internet access. The company’s complete line of DSL, router, wireless LAN, Internet telephony, and analog products includes the industry’s first call waiting modems, home DSL modems and wireless home gateways. Actiontec products have been recognized with a Best of Show award at Retail Xchange, Editors Choice awards from CNET’s computers.com and homePCnetwork.com, and Top 100 Products of the Year from Computer Shopper. Actiontec products are available through national distribution, retail outlets, and Actiontec's online store as well as through private label and Tier 1 OEM relationships. The company is headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA, and maintains branch offices in Austin, TX; Colorado Springs, CO; Auckland, New Zealand; Reading, United Kingdom; China and Taiwan. For more information, phone 408-752-7700, fax 408-541-9003, or visit http://www.actiontec.com.