There is still a large market in China for Internet information and broadband services, according to a report released yesterday by the China Internet Network Information Centre.

Average users send more than 10 pieces of information by the Internet each week and a majority, about 58 per cent , spend less than 10 yuan (US$1.2) each month, said the report.

The survey also found that most mobile phone users do not use Internet information services. Some 34.6 per cent of them said "it is not necessary," 13 per cent said there's "no interesting information," 12.2 per cent said they "do not know how to use Internet information services" and 11.6 per cent said "Internet fees are too expensive."

People stayed off-line for several reasons, including: a busy work schedule; Internet use is too complicated; little knowledge of the Internet; the inconvenience of logging on; a lack of safety connected to e-mail messages; unused to relying on the Internet; fears that web information is false; and worries about computer viruses.

Not surprisingly, younger people made up the largest group of on-line customers.

Among broadband Internet users, nearly 71 per cent use ADSL to log on and most of them pay the Internet connection fees for several consecutive months or years. Monthly payments for the average broadband connection is 92.3 yuan (US$11).

(China Daily 11/21/2003 page2)