University of New Hampshire's InterOperability Laboratory Announces High Bit Rate Digital Subscriber Line Second Generation -- HDSL2 -- Test Results.

Business Editors & Technology Writers

DURHAM, N.H.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 6, 2000

The University of New Hampshire's InterOperability Laboratory today announced that its first multi-vendor HDSL2 testing period was held the week of March 27, 2000 at the University of New Hampshire.

The participating companies were AccessLAN Communications, ADC, ADTRAN, Alcatel, Conexant Systems, Globespan, Intel Corporation, Larscom, Level One, Metalink (Nasdaq:MTLK), PairGain Technologies and Westell. Since interoperability testing is so critical for the advance and customer adoption of HDSL2 technology, these companies will continue joint testing efforts as members of the HDSL2 Consortium.

In this first ever round of HDSL2 testing, members who have developed HDSL2-enabled devices had the opportunity to examine early HDSL2 interoperability between vendors in a technology-driven environment. The testing schedule enabled participants to examine the ANSI T1 HDSL2 draft standard and its implementation between the various members of the HDSL2 Consortium. The desire was to look at HDSL2 both from a technology standpoint and from an implementation standpoint. The final goal of testing was to encourage not only interoperable HDSL2 devices, but to test the HDSL2 draft standard details as written and to compile recommendations in the draft standard for clarification or detail.

According to Scott Valcourt, manager of the UNH-IOL's HDSL2 Consortium, "This group test period examined the implementations of the HDSL2 draft standard. The group work, developed by all of the participants at this event, will allow for more extensive testing of HDSL2 at future group test periods and in the Laboratory on a daily basis." He added, "The participants to this Group Test Period have made a commitment to developing interoperable HDSL2 devices that conform to the ANSI T1 HDSL2 draft standard."

The University of New Hampshire's InterOperability Laboratory encourages vendors to conduct such testing by providing facilities for a multi-vendor test environment and has the capabilities to allow remote testing. To date, vendors have concentrated on interoperability of products within a campus environment and in the digital subscriber line area, working toward the customer's desire for a truly heterogeneous network.

The goal of the University of New Hampshire's InterOperability Laboratory is to provide complete testing for all products used in networking. UNH-IOL provides interoperability testing for 10Base-T, IEEE 1394, ADSL, ATM, Bridging Functions, Fast Ethernet, FDDI, FDSE, Fibre Channel, Gigabit Ethernet, HDSL2, IP/Routing/Voice over IP, MPLS, Network Management, Token Ring, VG-AnyLAN, and Wireless. Information on the UNH-IOL can always be obtained from their World Wide site at http://www.iol.unh.edu.

About Metalink Ltd.:

Metalink Ltd., a fabless semiconductor company, develops and markets high performance DSL chip sets used by telecommunications equipment makers. Metalink is a pure-play Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) leader providing network equipment vendors with DSL-based chipsets that solve network bandwidth access bottlenecks cost effectively. The company's top level algorithmic designers along with its leadership in U.S. and European Telecommunications Standards bodies, has helped establish Metalink as a leader in the field of high-end, pure-play DSL technology. Metalink's headquarters is located at 24 Habarzel Street, Ramat Hachayal, Tel Aviv, 69710 Israel, Tel: [phone], Fax: [phone]. Metalink's North American headquarters and mixed-signal design center is located at 105 Lake Forest Way, Suite C, Folsom, Calif. 95630, Tel: [phone], Fax: [phone]. For more information please visit Metalink's Web site at www.Metalink.co.il.

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements are set forth from time to time in Metalink's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Metalink's Form F-1.