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                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.1



        NEWS RELEASES
================================================================================


                       NOVATEL WIRELESS ANNOUNCES NEW $6.7
                               MILLION FINANCING


        SAN DIEGO, CA - March 13, 2003--Novatel Wireless, Inc. (Nasdaq: NVTL), a
        leading provider of wireless data communications access solutions,
        announced today that it has raised $1.2 million of new capital through
        the private placement of secured subordinated convertible debt and it
        has signed an agreement to raise an additional $2.05 million through the
        private placement of preferred equity. In addition, the Company expects
        to issue approximately $3.505 million of preferred equity in exchange
        for the satisfaction of liabilities. The group of investors includes Bay
        Investments Limited, PS Capital LLC and other investors. Certain aspects
        of the transaction are subject to stockholder approval in accordance
        with Nasdaq listing requirements.

        The financing will be in the form of an initial $1.2 million of secured
        convertible subordinated short-term debt and warrants to purchase common
        stock; $3.505 million of secured subordinated convertible debt which
        will be used to satisfy liabilities that the investor group plans to
        purchase on behalf of the Company; and $2.05 million of Series B
        Convertible Preferred Stock for cash and warrants to purchase common
        stock. The Company expects that this financing will provide it with
        sufficient working capital until the Company achieves break even cash
        flow.

        "This new investment is necessary for us to execute our business plan
        and will allow us to concentrate on building a profitable, leading
        wireless data company," said Peter Leparulo, Chief Executive Officer of
        Novatel Wireless. "With this financing in place, we believe we will see
        a dramatically different Novatel Wireless with a focused sales and
        marketing effort, a concentrated R&D program, and a dramatically reduced
        cost structure. This structure will allow us to turn profitable on a
        much lower revenue base while enabling us to take advantage of projected
        growth in the marketplace as it arises. Moving forward, we will build on
        our growing relationships with leading carriers and technology companies
        such as LG Innotek, Lucent Technologies and our largest customer -
        Sprint."

        Following stockholder approval, the short term debt will be converted
        into shares of the Company's Series B Preferred Stock, and the
        convertible debt will be converted, subject to the satisfaction of
        certain conditions, into shares of the Company's Series B Preferred
        Stock. The Series B Preferred Stock will then be convertible into shares
        of the Company's common stock at a conversion price of $0.70 per share,
        which represents a 10% discount to the five day closing bid average of
        the common stock for the period ended March 10, 2003. When the preferred
        stock is fully converted, the Series B new investors will own
        approximately 54% of the outstanding capital stock of the Company.

        Novatel Wireless will release final fourth quarter and year-end results
        on Wednesday, March 26, 2003.

        ABOUT NOVATEL WIRELESS, INC.

        Novatel Wireless, Inc. is a leading provider of wireless data modems and


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        software for use with handheld computing devices and portable personal
        computers. The Company delivers innovative and comprehensive solutions
        that enable businesses and consumers to access personal, corporate and
        public information through email, enterprise networks and the Internet.
        Novatel Wireless also offers wireless data modems and custom engineering
        services for hardware integration projects in a wide range of vertical
        applications. The Novatel Wireless product portfolio includes the
        Merlin(TM) Family of Wireless PC Card Modems, Expedite(TM) Family of
        Wireless Embedded Modems, Minstrel(R) Family of Wireless Handheld
        Modems, Lancer 3W(TM) Family of Ruggedized Modems and Sage(R) Wireless
        Serial Modems. Headquartered in San Diego, California, Novatel Wireless
        is listed on The Nasdaq Stock Market (Nasdaq: NVTL). For more
        information, please visit the Novatel Wireless web site:
        www.novatelwireless.com or call 888-888-9231.

        The Novatel Wireless logo, Minstrel, Merlin, Sage, Lancer 3W and
        Expedite are trademarks of Novatel Wireless, Inc. Minstrel and Sage are
        registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. All other brands,
        products and company names mentioned herein are trademarks of their
        respective holders.

        This release may contain forward-looking statements, which are made
        pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private
        Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking
        statements involve risks and uncertainties. A number of important
        factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in
        the forward-looking statements. These factors include risks relating to
        technological changes, continued acceptance of Novatel Wireless'
        products and dependence on intellectual property rights. These factors,
        as well as other factors that could cause actual results to differ
        materially, are discussed in more detail in Novatel Wireless' filings
        with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and other
        regulatory agencies.

