The Internet was introduced to China fairly late but its growth has been phenomenal. At present, internet access is available throughout China and its coverage is growing at 15%~20% annually. From its humble beginnings of having only one international outgoing cable and 300 users to the current several international outgoing cables and bandwidth of 2000Mbps, and a 68 million strong netizen population.

It is highly convinient to access information via the internet in China, at home, in schools, offices, hotel business centers. There are also internet cafes to be found in various cities around China, as well as internet access at post and telecom offices. Dial-up access is common in China but it can be slow. Faster internet is available through China Great Wall Net, ADSL or ISDN. Payment can be made through the post office, telecom outlets or by buying prepaid cards. Many government organizations, companies and even individuals have their own websites. Online activities such as net surfing, on-line education, internet recruitment, on-line shopping and reservations, cyber chats have all achieved remarkable popularity in today’s China. Sending short messages, e-mail or chatting on the internet to friends and families overseas not only promotes communication, it is also timesaving.

One thing is for sure, Chinese ever-growing economy will mean corresponding development in its internet technologies and usage.