Edge gets support for Google’s Brotli compression algorithm

Microsoft will provide its Edge browser with support for the Brotli compression algorithm. That algorithm for faster loading of web pages was developed by Google and is already supported in Chrome, Firefox and Opera.

The latest preview version of Edge now includes support for Brotli, but Microsoft will roll out the functionality with the upcoming Creators Update in the stable version of Windows 10 for all users. That update will be released in early 2017.

Microsoft says Edge will have Brotli support for both https and http connections in the preview release. In a future release, only support for https connections will be advertised. However, Edge will continue to unpack content compressed with Brotli over HTTP connections, just like Chrome does, the browser maker says. According to Microsoft, Brotli offers a compression ratio that is up to 20 percent better than using other methods.

Google released its Brotli compression algorithm in 2015 under an open source license, so that other browser makers can also implement the technique. At the beginning of this year, Google activated the algorithm in Chrome. Firefox has supported the algorithm since version 44 of its browser and Opera has since version 36. To take advantage of the better compression, websites must use the technique.