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NETGEAR AirCard782S Mobile Hotspotis ideal for sharing Telstra's 3G/4G LTE and the new blazing-fast Telstra 4G Advanced connection simultaneously with up to 10 WiFi-enabled devices.

SAN JOSE, California -- December 4, 2013 -- NETGEAR, Inc. (NASDAQGM: NTGR), a global networking company that delivers innovative products to consumers, businesses and service providers, has launched the NETGEAR AirCard 782S Mobile Hotspot in Australia in conjunction with Telstra Corporation Limited (ASX: TLS), Australia's largest telecommunications company. The device will be sold under the brand names Telstra Wi-Fi 4G Advanced or BigPond WiFi 4G Advanced.

This is the world's first dedicated mobile hotspot with LTE Advanced technology enabled by NETGEAR and the Qualcomm Gobi 4G LTE Advanced modem from Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM).The AirCard 782S also has a companion Ethernet and Antenna Charging Cradle that provides Ethernet connectivity to significantly increase speeds and extend coverage, as well as boost antenna strength in fringe areas with low signal strength.

The NETGEAR AirCard 782S Mobile Hotspot is the first mobile broadband device to come to market in Australia that can utilize the 4G Advanced from Telstra. It also supports the latest Category 4 LTE and offers backwards compatibility with Telstra's 3G coverage. Telstra is Australia's largest mobile network with four times the 4G coverage of any other network in Australia, enabling customers to experience fast mobile broadband across more places. Moreover, it is the first Mobile Hotspot device in Australia to include a data usage meter and integrates with Telstra's 24/7 billing system.

"We are delighted to be a part of this launch by offering the first 4G Advanced-enabled mobile broadband device to run on Telstra's network," said Michael Clegg, senior vice president and general manager for Service Provider Business at NETGEAR. "We're confident that the NETGEAR AirCard 782S will make it easier to connect and share on Telstra's world-class network so customers can experience fast web surfing and downloads, and smooth, high quality HD video streaming."

The AirCard 782S is a high-performance device that supports up to 10 simultaneous WiFi connections, providing ample support for small offices, telecommuters, students, temporary work sites, seasonal homes, or a work team carrying multiple connected devices into the field or on a road trip. Laptops, tablets, smartphones, digital cameras, gaming consoles, and other WiFi-enabled devices can connect on-the-go to the AirCard 782S built-in 802.11n wireless access point and share a single mobile broadband connection.

"We are happy to be working with NETGEAR to bring our customers the AirCard 782S, Australia's first mobile broadband device that is 4G Advanced-compatible," said Andrew Volard, director of Device Management for Telstra. "Even when the connection is shared amongst 10 devices in a temporary work site or a remote rural location, we are confident our customers will enjoy a seamless experience of fast downloads and smooth streaming, with no-fuss installation and management."

The NETGEAR AirCard 782S incorporates the Qualcomm Gobi MDM 9225 chipset, the world's first commercial chipset with 4G LTE Advanced technology. "LTE Advanced is a major enhancement to the 4G user experience and network efficiency,” said Sandeep Pandya, senior director, product management at Qualcomm Technologies Inc..“We are pleased to support NETGEAR and Telstra in this groundbreaking launch of the AirCard782S, based on Qualcomm Technologies' MDM 9225 and Qualcomm Atheros' AR6004 chipsets, which combine the most advanced LTE with Wi-Fi in a mobile hotspot that connects up to 10 simultaneous users."

Product Highlights

IT managers love the NETGEAR AirCard 782S Mobile Hotspot as it reduces the time and money required to test, deploy, and support mobile broadband. It's ideal for a business operating from a temporary site as managers can avoid the expense and delay of traditional fixed service connections. For the same reason, it's suitable for use in a holiday home or workplace that does not require annual Internet service. The AirCard 782S isalso a great option for people located in areas where there is limited access to fixed infrastructure.

This sleek device features a color touchscreen and intuitive user interface, making it simpler than ever to monitor data usage, manage connection settings, and share the Internet. Setup of the NETGEAR AirCard 782S is accomplished in under a minute as there's no software to install, and new devices are easily added to the network with the push of a button. It uses the latest wireless encryption technology and enables easy set-up of a guest WiFi network for a one-time access to the network connection. It also supports the most advanced mobile security protocols such as NAT Firewall and VPN pass-through.With a battery that lasts up to 10 hours of continuous use on a single charge, AirCard 782S can even offer a quick battery boost to smartphones via its micro-USB port.

The AirCard 782S provides the ultimate flexibility and performance with simultaneous dual-band WiFi support. While the 2.4GHz band can be extremely crowded with congestion and signal interference from WiFi networks at home, workplaces and public places, the 5GHz band is a much cleaner band with eight times more channels, resulting in much higher throughput speeds. Running on both bands concurrently, the AirCard 782S ensures both top speeds (5GHz) and greatest range (2.4GHz) while minimizing interference from nearby devices. The 5GHz band is also ideal for gaming or for uninterrupted streaming of HD content, as other WiFi devices may use the 2.4GHz band.

Accessories for the NETGEAR AirCard 782S

Ethernet and Antenna Charging Cradle: This latest charging cradle from NETGEAR is designed to enhance the capabilities of the AirCard 782S Mobile Hotspot. Similar to a desktop cradle, the charging cradle easily charges the battery and boosts the 3G/4G signal in fringe areas by docking the AirCard 782S and taking advantage of the built-in MIMO (multiple-input and multiple-out) antennas. In addition, the cradle is equipped with a Gigabit Ethernet port for connecting a desktop computer, printer, network attached storage (NAS), media server, or any other Ethernet-enabled device.Beyond the built-in MIMO antennas, the cradle has two external antenna connectors to support additional antennas to further boost the range.

NETGEAR AirCard App: NETGEAR offers a complimentary app that enables the end-user to conveniently manage the AirCard 782SMobile Hotspot status, connection, and settings from an iOS or Android™ smartphone or tablet. The NETGEAR AirCard App is available for download on Apple iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon Appstore.

Pricing and Availability

The NETGEAR AirCard 782S Mobile Hotspot is available now through Telstra branded retail stores and online, under the brand names BigPond and Telstra Wi-Fi 4G Advanced.The BigPond WI-FI 4G Advanced is available for $48 upfront when taken with any BigPond Mobile Broadband Plan(minimum cost on a 1GB plan over 12 months is $528, data 4c/MB). The Telstra WI-FI 4G Advanced is available for $6 per month when taken with a $50 Telstra Mobile Broadband Freedom Plan when you stay connected for 24 months (min cost $1,344, data 0.61c/MB). It's also available for $6 per month on a $50 Telstra Mobile Broadband Business Plan when you stay connected for 24 months (min total cost $1,344, data 0.61c/MB).

The Ethernet and Antenna Charging Cradle will become available beginning in mid-December from antennashop.com.au and Telstra stores.