Broadcom Introduces World's First Bluetooth Radio Designed Specifically for Use in Mobile...

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 19, 2001

Broadcom Corporation (Nasdaq:BRCM):

All-CMOS Design Extends Blutonium(TM) Product Line, Eases

Bluetooth(TM) Integration in Current Generation and 3G

Mobile Phones

Broadcom Corporation (Nasdaq:BRCM), the leading provider of integrated circuits enabling broadband communications, today announced the Broadcom(R) BCM2002X, the world's first all-CMOS Bluetooth(TM) radio chip designed specifically for use in mobile phones. The BCM2002X further extends Broadcom's Blutonium(TM) line of Bluetooth solutions, accommodating third-generation (3G) wideband code division multiple access (W-CDMA), global system for mobile communication (GSM), general packet radio service (GPRS), and code division multiple access (CDMA) mobile handsets.

With Broadcom's BCM2002X radio transceiver, mobile phone manufactures are now able to add Bluetooth functionality to their products with a minimal amount of development time and resources. Using a fractional-N frequency generation technology, the BCM2002X eliminates the need for a dedicated Bluetooth reference crystal, providing a lower bill of materials while eliminating an additional source of radio frequency (RF) "noise." The BCM2002X can be used with Bluetooth baseband circuitry present in the mobile devices' main baseband chip, or with any of Broadcom's Bluetooth baseband chipsets.

Building on previous generations of CMOS Bluetooth transceivers already developed by Broadcom, the BCM2002X is based on a mature, proven architecture exhibiting high receiver linearity and exceptional blocking performance for robust performance in high interference environments. The BCM2001 was the first all-CMOS transceiver to achieve Bluetooth qualification. The BCM2002X incorporates this proven technology with enhancements optimizing the chip for use in next-generation mobile phones.

"The BCM2002X Bluetooth radio, which is optimized for integration into mobile phones, demonstrates our continued leadership in the development of short-range wireless communications technologies," said K.C. Murphy, Vice President and General Manager of Broadcom's RF and Advanced Mixed Signal Business Unit. "Expanding our product line to accommodate requirements for mobile devices in GPRS, CDMA, and 3G phones significantly reduces the complexity manufacturers face when adding Bluetooth to electronic devices. Our Blutonium product line continues to evolve around the needs and requirements of our customers while targeting the biggest Bluetooth markets."

Worldwide, the market for Bluetooth chips in mobile phones is projected to be as many as 200 million units by 2003. Because analysts estimate that the market for mobile phone handsets will be over half a billion in 2001, this segment is seen as the largest opportunity for Bluetooth chips. In addition, as 3G cellular phones capable of higher data rates roll out over the next few years, Bluetooth functionality will become increasingly desirable to mobile users.

"Our BCM2002X provides an application specific solution, which is essential to ensure broad acceptance and usage of Bluetooth in voice+data mobile applications," said Craig Ochikubo, Product Line Manager for the BCM2002X. "By combining superior radio performance and fractional-N frequency generation, Broadcom is able to offer manufacturers optimal performance and a cost-effective total solution."

Key Features

The BCM2002X has been designed to provide simple integration with mobile phones, while maintaining very high performance. Notable features include:

-- Strong spurious emissions performance -- the BCM2002X minimizes interference
with transmissions taking place in the bands used by mobile phones.

-- Exceptional blocking performance -- highly linear design eliminates radio
frequency (RF) filtering to receive strong, reliable signals from other
Bluetooth devices.

-- Optimized cell phone integration -- radio design eases integration into the
very harsh environment within cell phones while maintaining high performance
and optimizing overall phone performance.

-- Fractional-N frequency generation technology -- enables the BCM2002X to base
its operation on a number of different reference frequencies.

Availability

Broadcom's CMOS Bluetooth radio and baseband transceiver chips, including the BCM2002X, are sampling today to early access partners. BCM2002X radio development systems, test software, and support for integration with Broadcom's baseband products are also currently available.

About Broadcom

Broadcom Corporation is the leading provider of highly integrated silicon solutions that enable broadband digital transmission of voice, video and data. Using proprietary technologies and advanced design methodologies, the company designs, develops and supplies system-on-a-chip solutions for broadband communications markets. Broadcom products enable communications for applications in cable set-top boxes, cable modems, high-speed local, metropolitan and wide area and optical networks, home networking, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), carrier access, residential broadband gateways, direct broadcast satellite and terrestrial digital broadcast, digital subscriber lines (xDSL), wireless communications, SystemI/O(TM) server solutions and network processing. Broadcom is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and may be contacted at 949-450-8700 or at www.broadcom.com.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:

This release may contain forward-looking statements based on our current expectations, estimates and projections about our industry, management's beliefs, and certain assumptions made by us. Words such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "may," "will" and variations of these words or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, our actual results could differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statements as a result of various factors.

Important factors that may cause such a difference for Broadcom in connection with its BCM2002X product and BCM2000 product line include, but are not limited to, the timing and successful completion of technology and product development through volume production; general economic conditions and specific conditions in the markets we address, including periodic downturns in the semiconductor industry; the rate at which our present and future customers and end-users adopt Broadcom's technologies and products in the markets for Bluetooth solutions; delays in the adoption and acceptance of industry standards in the foregoing markets; the timing of customer-industry qualification and certification of our products and the risks of non-qualification or non-certification; the timing, rescheduling or cancellation of significant customer orders; the loss of a key customer; the volume of our product sales and pricing concessions on volume sales; silicon wafer pricing and the availability of foundry and assembly capacity and raw materials; the qualification, availability and pricing of competing products and technologies and the resulting effects on sales and pricing of our products; intellectual property disputes and customer indemnification claims; fluctuations in the manufacturing yields of our third party semiconductor foundries and other problems or delays in the fabrication, assembly, testing or delivery of our products; our ability to specify, develop or acquire, complete, introduce, market and transition to volume production new products and technologies in a timely manner; the effects of new and emerging technologies; the effectiveness of our product cost reduction efforts; the risks of producing products with new suppliers and at new fabrication and assembly facilities; problems or delays that we may face in shifting our products to smaller geometry process technologies and in achieving higher levels of design integration; the risks and uncertainties associated with our international operations; our ability to retain and hire key executives, technical personnel and other employees in the numbers, with the capabilities, and at the compensation levels needed to implement our business and product plans; changes in our product or customer mix; the quality of our products and any remediation costs; the effects of natural disasters and other events beyond our control; the level of orders received that can be shipped in a fiscal quarter; and other factors.

Our forthcoming Annual Report on Form 10-K, recent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, recent Current Reports on Forms 8-K and 8-K/A, and other Securities and Exchange Commission filings discuss some of the important risk factors that may affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. We undertake no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason.

Broadcom(R), the pulse logo, Blutonium(TM) and SystemI/O(TM) are trademarks of Broadcom Corporation and/or its affiliates in the United States and certain other countries. Bluetooth(TM) is a trademark owned by Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson AB and licensed to participants in the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) in the United States and certain other countries. All other trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.