Barnes & Noble Offers Cometa Network's Wireless Internet Services At Its Bookstores Nationwide; Cometa Wi-Fi Services Offer Broadband Internet Access from Multiple Providers

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 9, 2004--Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE:BKS), the world's largest bookseller and Cometa Networks, Inc., a leading Wi-Fi (802.11) wholesale network provider, announced today an exclusive agreement to offer wireless Internet services at Barnes & Noble stores all across the country.

"With access to Cometa's convenient broadband wireless technology, Barnes & Noble customers will enjoy not only the benefits of the highest quality of service, but a choice of leading Wi-Fi service providers with a variety of pricing plans to fit their needs," said Steve Riggio, chief executive officer of Barnes & Noble, Inc. "After careful consideration, we believe Cometa can deliver the finest Wi-Fi service available today."

“After careful consideration, we believe Cometa can deliver the finest Wi-Fi service available today.”

"Barnes & Noble is one of the premier retail brands in the United States, bringing millions of customers the best value in the retail bookselling industry," said Gary Weis, chief executive officer of Cometa Networks, Inc. "We are pleased to contribute to their retail environment through our dependable, fast and always-on network broadband connectivity outside the home and office environments."

Unlike other public Wi-Fi networks, where customers have only one choice of service provider, the Cometa Hotspot(sm) network at all Barnes & Noble stores will be open to multiple providers. Customers can choose which provider they want. The wholesale Cometa Hotspot(sm) network currently supports service providers with pricing plans as low as $11.95 per month for unlimited usage.

The companies expect Wi-Fi deployment to be completed by September 2004.

The Barnes & Noble deployment marks Cometa Network's initiation of its national rollout plans. In addition to Barnes & Noble, Cometa Networks offers Wi-Fi services at a rich and diverse array of urban locations, including coffee houses, restaurants, shopping centers, as well as office buildings, golf and country clubs and college locations. Barnes & Noble customers will not only be able to access wireless broadband Internet service in their favorite Barnes & Noble bookstores, but in these other locations as well.

About Barnes& Noble, Inc.

Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE:BKS) is the world's largest bookseller, operating 647 Barnes & Noble stores in 49 states. It also operates 195 B. Dalton Bookseller stores, primarily in regional shopping malls. The company offers titles from more than 50,000 publisher imprints, including thousands of small, independent publishers and university presses. It conducts its e-commerce business through Barnes & Noble.com (NASDAQ:BNBN) (http://www.bn.com).

Barnes & Noble also has approximately a 65% interest in GameStop (NYSE:GME), the nation's largest video game and entertainment software specialty retailer with 1,514 stores.

General financial information on Barnes & Noble, Inc. can be obtained via the Internet by visiting the company's corporate Web site: http://www.barnesandnobleinc.com/financials.

About Cometa Networks

Based in Schaumburg, Ill., Cometa Networks deploys and operates public Wi-Fi (802.11) wireless broadband Internet access sites in collaboration with national and regional retail partners. The Cometa Hotspot(sm) network is offered wholesale to telecommunications companies, Internet service providers, cable operators and wireless carriers. Cometa has created a rich, community-based network of locations including Barnes & Noble Bookstores, McDonalds Restaurants, Tully's Coffee Shops, shopping centers, college campuses, golf courses, and more. The company is committed to offering leading industry value for its service. Cometa was formed by technology leaders AT&T, Intel and IBM and global investment concerns Apax Partners and 3i. For more information about Cometa Networks, or for a list of the ever-expanding Cometa Wi-Fi Hotspot Network locations, visit Cometa at www.cometahotspot.com.

This news release includes statements about potential future events that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties. Cometa cautions that its success will be affected by a number of factors, many of which are beyond its control, and that future events and results may vary substantially from what Cometa currently foresees.