News Release Details

Wi-LAN APPOINTS NEW VICE PRESIDENT OF TECHNOLOGY TO MANAGE ITS BROADBAND WIRELESS PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES

09/01/2004

CALGARY, Canada - September 1, 2004 - Wi-LAN Inc. (TSX:WIN), a global provider of broadband wireless communication products and technologies and a charter member of the WiMAX Forum(1), today announced the appointment of a new vice president to head up its technology department. Shawn Lightfoot, former Manager of Hardware Development at Wi-LAN, has been promoted to Vice President, Technology. Mr. Lightfoot fills the vacancy created by the resignation of Shawn Taylor, who left the Company for personal reasons in August 2004.

"Shawn Lightfoot was chosen from a strong slate of internal candidates, " said Dr. Sayed-Amr El-Hamamsy, President and Chief Executive Officer, Wi-LAN Inc. "In the end it came down to a choice between Shawn and Rashed Haydar, both senior managers in our technology department. Both Shawn and Rashed are well suited for the job; they are both long-term employees of Wi-LAN and both have shown very powerful and energetic visions of the future for Technology. Shawn has a very busy product development schedule to manage, and after his short tenure as Acting Vice President I believe that he is up to the challenge of making the transformation of Technology into a sales and marketing driven group. He is fortunate to have a very able second-in-command in Rashed, who has many major product development and customer support accomplishments to his credit."

Mr. Lightfoot has been with Wi-LAN since 1996, joining the Company as an RF (Radio Frequency) Designer before becoming Manager of the RF Development Group in 2000 and Manager, Hardware Development in 2001. During that time he successfully managed many broadband wireless product development projects. Prior to joining Wi-LAN, he worked at JRT Communications as Communications Technical Specialist from 1992 to 1994 and at Japan Radio Company, Canada as Senior Process Specialist - Cellular Products from 1994 to 1996. Mr. Lightfoot has an Electronics Technical degree (ET) from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (1990) in addition to management training from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. Mr. Lightfoot is also an accomplished country music singer-guitarist and has recently produced a CD of his work.

About Wi-LAN Inc.

Wi-LAN is a global provider of broadband wireless communications products and technologies, offering businesses, including telecom service providers, and government enterprises effective, economic and secure wireless high-speed communications solutions. Wi-LAN specializes in high-speed Internet access, data network extension, and wireless data and telephony backhaul, utilizing its high quality products and industry-leading technologies. Wi-LAN believes its W-OFDM patents are necessary for the implementation of devices using the IEEE 802.16 WirelessMAN Standard * and the ETSI BRAN HiperMAN* standard (the WiMAX* standards), the IEEE standards 802.11a and 802.11g (the 2nd generation Wi-Fi* standards), and the ETSI BRAN HiperLAN/2* standard. Wi-LAN licenses its W-OFDM technology and has executed non-exclusive W-OFDM license agreements with semiconductor companies. Wi-LAN is the Chair Company of the OFDM Forum (www.ofdm-forum.com) and an active member of the WiMAX* Forum (www.wimaxforum.org). Wi-LAN's common shares trade on The Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "WIN." Detailed information on Wi-LAN can be found at www.wilan.com.

Forward Looking Information

Certain statements in this release, other than statements of historical fact, may include forward-looking information that involves various risks and uncertainties. These may include, without limitation, statements based on current expectations involving a number of risks and uncertainties related to all aspects of the wireless communications industry. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not restricted to, continued increased demand for the Company's products, the Company's ability to maintain its technological leadership in the field of high-speed wireless communications, the Company's ability to attract and retain key employees, the enforceability of the Company's patents, and the availability of key components.

These uncertainties may cause actual results to differ from information contained herein. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. These and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements are based on the estimates and opinions of management on the dates they are made and expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements should circumstances or management's estimates or opinions change.

* All trademarks and brands mentioned in this release are the property of their respective owners.

For more information please contact:

Wi-LAN Inc.
Corporate Communications and Investor Relations
Ken Wetherell
Ph: (403) 207-6329
E-mail: kwetherell@wi-lan.com

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