Print

Mail

wiki links

Internet traffic in China catching up to that in US

China is second only to the US in Internet traffic, according to a survey released Wednesday.

But the US still held a commanding lead in this category, reported WebSideStory, an Internet analysis firm.

According to the company, China accounted for 6.63 percent of global Internet traffic, second only to the US, which accounts for some 42.65 percent of online activity worldwide.

Behind China, by percentage, is Japan (5.24 percent), Britain (3.94 percent), Canada (3.93 percent) and Germany (3.64 percent).

The online analysis company said its figures show that the Asian markets are fast emerging as a leader in online usage. Last year, Germany was second behind the US with 5.56 percent of Internet users.

"We're seeing China and other countries grow into significant players on the Web," said Geoff Johnston, WebSideStory vice president.

"Businesses should take note of this as they develop their online strategies."

The company, through its StatMarket division, bases its numbers on surveys of millions of Internet users accessing some 125,000 sites worldwide.

The increase in Asian Internet usage comes at a time when the Chinese government has been cracking down on Web access, closing Internet cafes and asking Internet companies to sign promises that they will not post content offensive to the Chinese government.

Yahoo China has signed that pact, Yahoo officials in the US have confirmed.

A group of 18 Chinese dissidents and intellectuals published on Monday a "declaration of Internet users' rights" in protest of this pact. The declaration calls for complete freedom for Chinese people to surf the Internet.

The Beijing government's official estimate showed some 46 million Internet users in China in June, but some private surveys put the number at above 50 million.

Online rating service Nielsen/NetRatings said recently that 56.6 million Chinese are living in Internet-connected homes, making China second only to the US in the number of home Internet users.
This story has been viewed 3772 times.