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The proportion of broadband Internet users in China ranks second only to the United States |
According to a report by the UK-based global telecommunications market research firm Point-Topic, it is likely that in the coming year, China will surpass the United States to become the country with the highest rate of broadband Internet usage in the world.
A recent survey by Point-Topic indicates that the United States still holds the title for the highest growth in broadband Internet with 40.9 million new subscribers in the first nine months of 2005, followed by China with 35 million new subscribers, and Japan with 20.9 million. The total global growth figure is 37.9 million.
However, in the third quarter of 2005, China added 3.6 million new subscribers, far exceeding the United States’ 2.7 million. Therefore, Point-Topic forecasts that, at this growth rate, China will overtake the United States by the fourth quarter of 2006.
According to Point-Topic’s survey, the global growth rate for Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) broadband Internet increased by 28.8%, compared to a 17.0% increase in cable subscriptions, raising the DSL subscription rate to 65.9% of the total global broadband subscriptions. In Southeast Asia, the DSL growth figure stands at 12.9%.
Nevertheless, in the Asia-Pacific region, the growth rate of DSL subscriptions shows signs of reaching a plateau and is expected to decline in the coming years, particularly in countries and territories like Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan.
H.TRUNG
