Around half of Taiwanese Internet users used broadband technology to access the Web as of July, while only 12 percent connected by means of mobile phones, according to a survey released by the Taiwan Network Information Center (台灣網路資訊中心) yesterday.
The 50-percent broadband penetration rate was unchanged compared with six months ago, a ratio that is fourth-highest in the world behind only South Korea, Hong Kong and Canada, the non-profit research center said at a press conference in Taipei.
Improvement needed
"Despite its popularity, Taiwan's broadband market still needs further improvement in several areas, including fair competition and more digital content to lure more users," said Lu Ai-chin (呂愛琴), acting executive director of the center.
In addition, the data showed that the nation's broadband and Internet development is entering a stable phase, she added.
In terms of different broadband applications, the penetration ratio of asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) technology in Taiwan ranked No. 2 in the world next to South Korea, the center said.
A hefty 70 percent of respondents above 12 years of age said they used broadband technology to browse Web sites and 50 percent of them used it to access e-mail. Only 2.27 percent of respondents used the Internet for online shopping, according to the center.
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