Shanghai Internet penetration rate ranked the second in China's mainland, next only to Beijing, said a report by the China Internet Network Information Center released yesterday, which reported that Shanghai's net users increased to 4.32 million in 2003, a 2% increase compared to the previous year.

The city's penetration rate was up to 26.6%, second only to Beijing at 28%. The three-month-long survey covered "thousands of local people" through phone, e-mail and street interviews, the center said. Its margin of error is thought to be less than 3 percent.