Intel is ready to offer Internet service providers "Quick Web Technology" that uses data compression techniques to allow speeding up of customer access to graphics by 10-20% (though at the loss of some graphic quality). Customers would pay about $5 more in monthly services.

The technology also improves speed by allowing the service providers to "cache" or store copies of Web pages locally once they are downloaded by users, so that when the customer calls them again they can be obtained directly from the service provider rather than the Web site that produced them.

... and ...

Compaq, Intel, and Microsoft are teaming up with major local phone service providers GTE and fourof the Bell companies (all except Bell-Atlantic) to develop technology that would improve Internet access to a speed of 1.5 million bits a second.

The new ultrafast modems would use ordinary phone lines but would remained connected to the Net at all times without the need to dial a service provider and without interfering with normal voice conversations over the same line. The project will be based on DSL ("digital subscriber line") technology.

(c) Wall Street Journal & New York Times