Ask people what internet browser they use and you most likely won’t hear Opera among the list anymore, but the browser has amassed a huge following in Belarus. Quartz delves into why the Norwegian software is so popular in Belarus, discovering that internet denizens rely on Opera’s webpage compression technology to dramatically reduce load times and data usage. Belarus’ telecom monopoly has resulted in slow and expensive connections, with Opera helping customers to squeeze the most out of their devices. The recent economic turmoil has helped somewhat by pushing prices down, potentially opening up a gap for other browsers, but Opera reigns supreme in Belarus for now.