The China Daily reports that there is still a large market in China for Internet information and broadband services, according to a report released recently by the China Internet Network Information Centre (CNNIC).

Average users send more than 10 pieces of information by the Internet each week and a majority, about 58%, spend less than 10 yuan (US$1.2) each month, the report said. The survey also found that most mobile phone users do not use Internet information services. Some 34.6% of them said "it is not necessary," 13% said there's "no interesting information," 12.2% said they "do not know how to use Internet information services" and 11.6% said "Internet fees are too expensive." Not surprisingly, younger people made up the largest group of on-line customers.

Among broadband Internet users, nearly 71% use ADSL to log on and most of them pay the Internet connection fees for several consecutive months or years. Monthly payment for the average broadband connection is 92.3 yuan (US$11). Most broadband users are male technicians, staff in companies or administrative departments, or employees in tertiary industries and the commercial sector. They are around 30 with high school or college education. Insiders of CNNIC said the many dial-up Internet users may switch in the future, so, as far as CNNIC is concerned, the future of broadband Internet is promising.