by Nancy Gardiner
Northern News Services

NNSL (Sep 10/97) - NorthwesTel is offering new technology for 25 to 75 per cent faster Internet speeds for Yellowknife and Whitehorse customers.

Other Internet providers in Yellowknife, MicroAge and SSI Micro, could not be reached for comment as to if or when they might be able to offer similar technology.

The new protocol software, called "x2" is being offered through the 3Com Corporation.

The fastest conventional modems now typically have 28.8 bandwidths, says Doug Portz, product manager for NorthwesTel. Downloading will go faster, but there's no change in uploading.

There's no extra charge for the service, Portz says. However, to realize the faster connection, customers will have to buy one of the new x2 modems.

"Speeds vary depending upon where people live. Some people may not see any increase, but ones in town here we've checked -- have all seen increases of 25 per cent," he says.

"It works through compression (of information) or software spoofing to fool the line into thinking it's digital -- it becomes a 56 kbps modem over an analog line."

Sympatico is the Internet service that NorthwesTel offers.