Chinese Internet Service Providers
by With a large Internet user population estimated to be over 380 million, China requires a good number of ISP’s, which it actually has. As Internet censorship is very common in China, Chinese Internet Service Providers are licensed and strictly regulated to ensure that the content that they avail to Chinese citizens is that which is acceptable by the Chinese government.
China ISP’s not only operate from China proper, some operate from Hong Kong and Taiwan, the administrative regions of China. Some of the major China ISP’s include:
· China Netcom – China Netcom was formed by the Chinese government in 1999 to encourage internal investment in building high-speed internet connectivity in China. With a workforce of over 92,000 and a revenue base of US$7.844 billion, it is one of the largest ISP’s in China. Apart from offering ADSL Internet connectivity, the company also provides connectivity to China’s IP telephone shops that offer discounted telephone calls. The company played a big role in the success of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, being its official telecommunications provider. China Netcom merged with China Unicom in 2008, with China Netcom becoming a subsidiary of China Unicom.
· MSN China – MSN China is a business venture of Microsoft Corporation and is based in China. It has however been very controversial in China, having been accused of imitating codes of a blocked blogging service with its release of MSN Juku user interface application.
· China Telecom – China Telecom is a public owned company that was founded in 2002 and headquartered in Beijing. It offers three main services: voice, mobile and Internet Broadband. The company is the largest fixed-line service provider and the third largest mobile service provider in China. The company has been listed in both the Hong Kong and New York Stock Exchange since its formation.
· China Mobile – China Mobile was founded in 1997 in Hong Kong, where it is based. The company provides mobile voice and multimedia services. It boasts of a nationwide mobile telecommunication network with a subscriber base of 570 million customers, one of the largest in the world. China Mobile is heavily controlled by the Chinese government and enjoys many government incentives. China Mobile has expanded over the years. It has acquired several companies both in China and in Pakistan.
· China Tietong – China Tietong was established by China Railway Communication Corporation in 2000 before being transferred to the State Council in 2004. The company mainly provides ADSL and dial-up Internet services. The company was eventually taken over by China Mobile in 2008.
It is apparent that most Chinese Internet Service Providers are closely linked to the state, having been established as state corporations or bought by state corporations. This set up means that the state plays a big role in the operations of the companies. The government holds substantial shares in these companies. This in effect means that the government finds it easy to censor content available to Chinese citizens. A unique feature of Chinese Internet Service Providers is their pricing. There is very little price difference on the various services provided by different companies.
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