CenterPoint says it will be one of the first utilities to test new technology, including faster chips that roughly triple connection speeds.

The two-year total of $12.8 billion is financing two new chip factories and the development of faster, easier-to-manufacture chips.

Perhaps there was an unexpected availability of faster chips at the last moment from Intel?

Although the iPhone 4S looks like the iPhone 4, its new software and faster chip meant "it had everything people wanted", he said.

One can presume I.B.M. will make those faster chips available on the Power Platform.

A hurdle with faster chips is the interference that they can cause with nearby radios and televisions, so proper shielding will be critical.

But I.B.M. is developing a way to use copper, a lower-resistance metal, meaning faster chips.

Mr. Thornhill says the entire personal computer industry benefits by forcing Intel to bring faster chips to market sooner.

Newer designs attempt to make faster chips more efficient, so they are not only cooler but also use less energy.

I.B.M. and its Japanese rivals have been in a fierce competition to design faster chips and better cooling systems.