News & Events
Intersil and SigmaOne Help Locate Mobile Emergency Callers

— CommLink Digital Down Converter ICs Support Cellular Location System
— Complies with FCC mandated wireless location systems

IRVINE, CA., — February 27, 2001 — Intersil Corporation (NASDAQ: ISIL), a leading developer of silicon technology for wireless access and communications analog markets, announced today that its CommLink™ digital down-converter (DDC) has been selected for use in the SigmaOne Communications Sigma-5000 TDOA-AOA Location System™. The Sigma-5000 TDOA-AOA™ Location System is used in cellular base stations and automatically locates the origin of wireless calls, including emergency 911 calls, and enables users to quickly receive emergency assistance as well as other location-based services, such as traffic, yellow pages, directional and asset monitoring information.

"The value of location-based information continues to grow as the use of mobile phones continues to dramatically increase, and E-911 is the lead application for deploying location-based services," said John Krehbiel, vice president of Intersil‘s CommLink products. "Service providers require a position location solution that can be quickly deployed using existing base station technology and that overcomes the obstacles posed by multiple cellular protocols. CommLink software-defined radio IC products are specifically designed to accommodate all current and future protocols, and our selection to be the DDC provider for SigmaOne’s Sigma-5000 TDOA-AOA Location System, which is at the forefront of this emerging and crucial technology, is further evidence of Intersil’s industry-leading base station IC technology."

The CommLink HSP50216 is a programmable digital down-converter that serves in the receive section in cellular base stations to enable wireless communications. A companion part, the HSP50217 digital up-converter (DUC), serves in the transmit section in the base station. Both digital converters and other CommLink devices support both broadband wireless applications and simultaneously support multiple legacy and newer 3G cellular standards, including GSM, IS-136 TDMA, EDGE, IS-95, CDMA (CDMA2000 and UMTS) and AMPS.

"SigmaOne is dedicated to providing the most advanced, robust mobile commerce location solutions, including E-911" said Mark Licht, President of SigmaOne Communications. "Because cellular phones are pre-programmed to employ any one of a number of cellular standards, the CommLink DDC’s four integrated channels and single circuit design make it a natural fit for our location system because it provides greater efficiency and flexibility in support of all existing cellular protocols. As a result, an Intersil CommLink-enabled SigmaOne system can process and locate the call regardless of the protocol that is used."

The Federal Communications Commission has mandated that U.S. wireless carriers implement location systems where requested by the Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs), beginning in October 2001. The location systems must provide emergency dispatchers with a wireless caller’s callback number and the location of the caller within 100 meters, 67 percent of the time.

About CommLink Products
The HSP50216 is part of the Intersil CommLink family of high-speed converters and fixed-function DSPs targeting next generation cellular base stations. Intersil has developed a complete software-defined radio solution for base station designs that consists of the HSP50216 digital down-converter, the HSP50217 digital up-converter, the HIP5960 14-bit digital-to-analog converter (DAC), and the HI5980 14-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC).

For further information, call 1-888-INTERSIL (1-888-468-3775) ext. 8008, or visit Intersil’s CommLink website at http://www.intersil.com/design/commlink.

SigmaOne Communications
SigmaOne Communications Corp. is a global provider of mobile location platforms for wireless network operators, infrastructure vendors and consumers. The Sigma-5000 TDOA-AOA Location System™ was developed to support location-based services above and beyond the E-911 mandate. This proprietary system is the first location technology to successfully integrate Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) with Angle of Arrival (AOA). SigmaOne is also developing with its strategic partners an end-to-end network based location platform that will enable highly accurate location services for consumer and corporate markets.

SigmaOne was formed in November 1997 and is currently a partnership between its management founders, Dennis Kahan and Mark Licht; Koor Ltd., a $3.5 billion investment holding company; and ECI Telecom and Tadiran Ltd., two of Israel's largest electronics and telecommunications companies. The company maintains offices in Los Angeles, Dallas, New York, Tampa and Tel Aviv.

For more information about SigmaOne, please call (972) 869-7617, or visit the company's web site at www.sigma-1.com.

Intersil Corporation
Intersil is a leading supplier of semiconductors, reference designs and software for wireless access and communications analog markets. Intersil applies analog, mixed-signal and radio frequency (RF) expertise to products that enable wireless access to broadband media; provide reliable power management for PCs, file servers and portable information appliances; and convert analog and digital signals in cellular and Internet infrastructure. For more information about Intersil, visit the company's Internet homepage at www.intersil.com.

This press release contains information relating to certain projections and business trends concerning Intersil Holding Corporation’s ("Intersil") CommLink products and the wireless location system market that are forward looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward looking statements are based upon management’s current expectations, estimates, beliefs, assumptions, and projections about our business and industry. 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. Furthermore, any forward looking statements and projections made by others in this press release are not adopted by Intersil and Intersil is not responsible for the forward looking statements and projections of others. These forward looking 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 risk factors. Important risk factors that may cause such material differences for Intersil in connection with Intersil’s CommLink products and the wireless location system market include, but are not limited to, the rate at which our present and future customers and end-users adopt Intersil’s current, and next-generation CommLink products and technology; the adoption of a particular cellular standard; the rate of acceptance of wireless, location systems; the timing, rescheduling or cancellation of significant customer orders; the loss of a key customer; the qualification, availability and pricing of competing products and technologies and the resulting effects on sales and pricing of our products; silicon wafer pricing and the availability of foundry and assembly capacity and raw materials; intellectual property disputes; as well as other risk factors detailed from time to time in Intersil’s filings with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission. These forward looking statements are made only as of the date of this press release and Intersil undertakes no obligation to update or revise these forward looking statements.

CommLink is a trademark of Intersil Americas Inc.
Sigma-5000TDOA-AOA Location System is a trademark of SigmaOne Communications.

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