Level One, a telecommunications chip maker that is in the process of being acquired by Intel, began shipping its first chipset for HDSL2, or high bit-rate digital subscriber lines, a technology that allows for high-speed data transmissions over standard phone wires. Production volumes of Level One's new chipset are expected in June. HDSL2 is being considered as a global standard and is compatible with existing HDSL, ADSL,
T1,
and ISDN
connections.