Google Chrome, Firefox Browsers To See Boost In Page Load Times Thanks To New Algorithm

SAN FRANCISCO — The web is about to get faster. A new algorithm developed by Google that will be incorporated into upcoming versions of Chrome and Firefox promises to make web pages load up to 26 percent faster.

Brotli, as the new compression technology is formally called, was first announced by Google in September, but this week the company said it intends to ship the new algorithm soon. "Brotli compression is coming to a Chrome browser near you," Ilya Grigorik, a web performance engineer at Google, said in a note.

Google developed the new technology as a way to make Chrome faster than it already is by loading web pages that use secure encryption in a more efficient manner. "We hope that this format will be supported by major browsers in the near future, as the smaller compressed size would give additional benefits to mobile users, such as lower data transfer fees and reduced battery use," the company said in September.

Firefox users will also benefit from the new technology. Mozilla, which develops Firefox, has also announced its intention to adopt the new technology.