China now has 45 million Internet users, the second most in
the world. While that might sound a lot, it is only 3.6% of
the vast population of 1.3 billion. Nearly half of China’s
surfers – 44% – are students or professionals, and half the
country’s websites are based in its three richest cities,
according to official web data collector CNNIC. The growth
of Internet use has received a massive boost from cuts in
telephone tariffs in the last year and a half, but the
deployment of broadband continues to be hindered
territorial battles between competing government
ministries. The market, however, is giving broadband a
push, with developers building it into new apartment blocks
to make them more desirable to buyers. Internet expansion
is also partly being driven forward by Beijing’s successful
bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games, when journalists and
tourists are certain to put China’s digital infrastructure
to the test.
[SOURCE: BBC, AUTHOR: Mary Hennock]
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/1/hi/business/2269161.stm)
Tags: China
