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News ReleaseNovAtel Inc. Receiver Tracks First Galileo Satellite in Space
(Calgary, Alberta, Canada, April 7, 2006) - NovAtel Inc. (NASDAQ: NGPS), a precise positioning technology company, today announced that it has successfully acquired and tracked the L1 BOC(1,1) signal transmitted by the Galileo GIOVE-A test satellite, making it the first company outside Europe to acquire the signal using a commercial receiver. The receiver used was NovAtel’s EuroPak-L1L5E5a configurable, 16 channel, GPS+Galileo receiver, developed in Canada by NovAtel under a Canadian Space Agency Space Technology Development Program. "This achievement demonstrates the ability of our receiver to track and process signals from a Galileo satellite – until now, all Galileo development has been based on simulations,” said Tony Murfin, VP Business Development. “The test was made possible following initial signal capture by Stanford University and the recent work and publication by Cornell University of the GIOVE-A PRN code, which has been kept a closely guarded secret within Europe.” The PRN code is a unique satellite identification reference that enables receivers to find the very low level satellite signal within background thermal noise. The EuroPak-L1L5E5a receiver may be user configured to track not only the basic GPS L1 signal, but also GPS L5 and L5 SBAS (Space Based Augmentation System – such as the US WAAS) signals. It can also be configured to track both GPS and Galileo L1 and E5a signals. NovAtel has also recently made available the GPS-704X wideband passive antenna, which enables the reception of signals not only from GPS and Galileo, but also from the Russian GLONASS satellites. The European Space Agency (ESA) has requested that NovAtel limit the sale of its Canadian developed Galileo receivers to ESA-authorized customers in the short-term, until later in the GIOVE-A test campaign. However, the EuroPak-L1L5E5a receiver is available now, configured for only GPS L1 and L5 signal reception. As soon as ESA authorization is received, NovAtel will supply free upgrades to allow these receivers to be updated in the field with Galileo capability. NovAtel plans to demonstrate the EuroPak-L1L5E5a Galileo capabilities next month at the ENC/GNSS convention in Manchester, UK, May 7-10. Also on display will be the GPS-704X antenna, a GPS+Galileo Reference Receiver with GLONASS option, and the recently introduced OEMV family of receivers. About NovAtelNovAtel designs, markets and sells high-precision GPS and other positioning components and sub-systems used in a wide variety of commercial applications principally in the aviation, geomatics (surveying and mapping), mining, precision agriculture, marine and defence industries. NovAtel is also the principal supplier of reference receivers to national aviation ground networks in the US, Japan, Europe, China and India. NovAtel’s solutions combine hardware, such as receivers and antennas, with software to enable its customers to fully integrate the Company’s high-precision GPS technology into their respective products and systems. NovAtel, an ISO 9001 certified company, is focused on supplying core high-precision positioning technology to OEMs and system integrators who build systems for various end market applications. For more information, visit www.novatel.com. Certain statements in this news release, including those about the Company’s future plans and intentions, future performance and market acceptance of its Galileo technology and expected shipments into the Galileo system, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not based on historical facts but rather on management’s current expectations regarding NovAtel’s future growth, results of operations, performance, future capital and other expenditures, competitive advantages, business prospects and opportunities. Wherever possible, words such as ‘‘anticipate’’, ‘‘believe’’, ‘‘expect’’, ‘‘may’’, ‘‘could’’, ‘‘will’’, ‘‘potential’’, ‘‘intend’’, ‘‘estimate’’, ‘‘should’’, ‘‘plan’’, ‘‘predict’’, “forecast” or the negative or other variations of these words, or similar words or phrases, have been used to identify these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results discussed or implied in the forward-looking statements, including operating results of the Company’s joint venture Point, Inc. (“Point”), impact and timing of large orders, U.S. dollar to Canadian dollar exchange rate fluctuations, establishing and maintaining effective distribution channels, timely launch of new products, certification and market acceptance of NovAtel’s new products, impact and timing of large orders, credit risks of customers and the Company’s joint venture Point, pricing pressures in the market and other competitive factors, maintaining technological leadership, timing of revenue recognition in connection with certain contracts, the ability to maintain supply of products from subcontract manufacturers, the procurement of components to build products, product defects, the impact of industry consolidations, vulnerability to general economic, market and business conditions, competition, environmental and other actions by governmental authorities, reliance on key personnel and other factors described in the Company’s Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2004 and other SEC filings, many of which are beyond the control of NovAtel. These factors should be considered carefully and undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and NovAtel assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. |
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