TELUS Delivers Canada's First EVDO Rev A-Capable Wireless Network Card for Portable PCs


Sierra Wireless AirCard® 595 offers fast mobile access to e-mail and Internet applications

VANCOUVER, Feb. 15 /-- TELUS and Sierra Wireless (NASDAQ:SWIR)(NASDAQ:-)(NASDAQ:TSX:)(NASDAQ:SW) today announced that the Sierra Wireless AirCard® 595 wireless wide-area network card is the first available in Canada capable of operating on TELUS' Wireless High Speed (EVDO) Rev A network when available.

EVDO Rev A is TELUS' next-generation wireless network technology that offers typical upload speeds of 300 to 400 kilobits per second with maximum possible upload speeds of 1.8 megabits per second, and typical download speeds of approximately 450 to 800 kilobits to a maximum possible speed of 3.1 megabits per second. TELUS plans to introduce EVDO Rev A service in selected markets across Canada later this year. The AirCard 595 offers forward compatibility with TELUS' EVDO Rev A network through a simple software upgrade.

"TELUS is committed to providing our clients with mobile data solutions like the Sierra Wireless AirCard 595 that offer fast, secure and convenient access to e-mail, the Internet, and corporate networks and applications," said Robert Blumenthal, TELUS' senior vice-president of Products and Services. "And with its easy EVDO Rev A upgradeability, the AirCard 595 is also an investment in the future of wireless high-speed."

"TELUS' future upgrade to EVDO Rev A will offer significant benefits, particularly to mobile users who create large files like photos or other media content that need to be submitted from the field," said Dan Schieler, senior vice-president of Worldwide Sales for Sierra Wireless. "The AirCard 595 enables customers to take advantage of the increased efficiency of the network as soon as it is available."

The Sierra Wireless AirCard 595 now operates on the TELUS Wireless High Speed network (EVDO Rev 0). With typical download speeds of approximately 400 to 700 kilobits per second, and maximum possible speeds of more than 2 megabits per second, TELUS Wireless High Speed service offers clients the speed they need for powerful mobile computing.

TELUS Wireless High Speed (EVDO Rev 0) service is currently available to more than 50 per cent of Canadians in 36 regions across the country, including all major urban centres. TELUS clients can also access Wireless High Speed Internet while traveling in more than 230 cities in the United States. Where TELUS Wireless High Speed service is not available, TELUS clients can also access the Internet through TELUS 1X digital service, which reaches 92 per cent of Canadians. For more on service availability, please visit telusmobility.com/coverage.

The AirCard 595 fits a standard Type II PC Card slot on portable computing devices and is compatible with Microsoft Windows XP and 2000 and operating systems. With the launch of EVDO Rev A, the AirCard 595 will also support Windows Vista and MAC OS X. The AirCard 595 offers improved reception, speed and durability thanks to its high-performance fixed antenna design.

The Sierra Wireless AirCard 595 is available from TELUS retail locations across Canada for as low as $99.99 on a three-year contract subject to promotional requirements until March 31, 2007, or $349.99 with no contract.

About TELUS

TELUS (TSX: T, T.A; NYSE: TU) is a leading national telecommunications company in Canada, with $8.5 billion of annual revenue and 10.5 million customer connections including 4.9 million wireless subscribers, 4.6 million wireline network access lines and 1.1 million Internet subscribers. TELUS provides a wide range of communications products and services including data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, entertainment and video. Committed to being Canada's premier corporate citizen, over the last five years TELUS has contributed more than $62 million to charitable and non-profit organizations, and has established seven TELUS Community Boards across Canada to lead its local philanthropic initiatives.

About Sierra Wireless

Sierra Wireless (NASDAQ:SWIR)(NASDAQ:-)(NASDAQ:TSX:)(NASDAQ:SW) develops and markets reliable, high quality wireless communications products that provide mobile professionals with data and voice access to wide area wireless networks. The Sierra Wireless product portfolio includes the award-winning AirCard® line of wireless modems, embedded modules for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and the MP line of rugged, vehicle-mounted wireless modems. Sierra Wireless also offers professional services to OEM customers during product development, leveraging the company's expertise in wireless design and integration to provide built-in wireless connectivity for notebook computers and other portable computing devices. Sierra Wireless is headquartered in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, with additional offices in Carlsbad, California, London, and Hong Kong. For more information about Sierra Wireless, please visit www.sierrawireless.com.

CONTACT: media may contact: Julie Smithers, TELUS Media Relations, (416) 684-6817, Julie.smithers@telus.com; Sharlene Myers, Sierra Wireless, smyers@sierrawireless.com; Marina Guy, High Road Communications, (604) 630-1039, mguy@highroad.com

Source: Sierra Wireless, Inc.

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