BT partners with Onspeed

Users of BT's dial-up internet services will be able to enjoy speedier services thanks to a new partnership with acceleration software OnSpeed.

The software does not increase internet traffic speeds but compresses certain types of material so it appears to arrive faster. The data is then decompressed on the user?s computer.

The software can dramatically improve the online experience for dial-up users, but only with certain types of material.

On average, OnSpeed compresses text and HTML - the language in which web pages are written - at 10 times - and Gif and Jpeg image files the most commonly used types of images on the web - at around four times. OnSpeed also compresses e-mail at around five times.

However, OnSpeed cannot compress most media files, such as Mpeg, QuickTime, MP3 or WMA, as these files are already compressed and cannot be shrunk any further. Compressed archive file formats, such as Zip and Rar cannot be shrunk either. Users who largely download media files are unlikely to see any kind of speed improvement.

BT said the service would give dial-up users a glimpse of broadband without being tied to more expensive broadband contracts.

Read Computeractive?s review of OnSpeed here