More than 90% of Chinese internet users have broadband, a report says
More than 90% of Chinese internet users have broadband, a report says
By Tim Bisley (Mon, 18th January 2010)
The popularity of broadband internet continues to grow, with new figures suggesting that more than 90 per cent of people with access to the web in China use a broadband connection.
By the end of 2009, 346 million of the country's 384 million internet users had broadband - some 86 million more than the previous twelve months, according to a report by the China Internet Network Information Centre (CINNC).
With one-third of the world's largest population now online, the rise of broadband in the country over the coming years could be significant.
The CINNC also revealed that China's internet penetration has reached 28.9 per cent, compared with a global average of just 21.9 per cent.
It named Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, Tianjin and Zhejiang as the cities and provinces with the highest rate of internet take-up.
Broadband users over the age of 30 - who currently make up 38 per cent of the market - have been identified as the key to future growth, with a rising number taking an interest in the internet and many having a significant amount of disposable income.
About one-third of internet users are also said to take advantage of mobile broadband, with some reliant on it for their web browsing requirements.
The UK government has recently announced plans to update broadband connections in Britain so that they are super-fast and accessible to more than 90 per cent of people.
This would be achieved by laying hi-tech fibre-optic cables which would reach out-of-touch areas and rural communities.
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