The paper presents the design of a novel low-noise amplifier (LNA), for GSM and UMTS receivers, in a 0.18-/spl mu/m CMOS technology using an HSPICE simulator. For receiving signals of lower frequency, higher value inductors are needed. We have employed a new technique for obtaining the equivalent higher inductance at lower frequency by paralleling an appropriate capacitor with the inductor. Therefore it is not required to use an additional inductor for receiving lower frequency bands. By only switching the appropriate capacitor in parallel with the inductor, we can use one LNA for receiving more than one band; therefore this approach is very useful in multi-standard receivers. We have used this technique for receiving the UMTS and GSM standards. Simulation results show that, voltage gain, NF, IIP3 and 1-dB compression point are, respectively, 23.34 dB, 3.96 dB -6.27 dBm and -15 dBm for UMTS and 24.9 dB, 2.6 dB, -21.55 dBm and -25.7 dBm for GSM. The supply voltage is 1 V and LNA consumes only 9.04 mW.