Development of the Internet in China

　　During the late period of the 1990s, China's information industry developed with a speed of more than 50% on the average every year. At the end of 1998, there were already more than 2.1 million Internet users in China. At the end of June 1999, the figure exceeded 4 million. With the expansion of the Internet, China's informatization is speeding up.

　　Generally speaking, the development of the Internet in China experienced three periods:

　　The first period (1987-1994): During the phase, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) built the first cable connected to the Internet, realizing e-mail communication with North America and Europe.

　　The second period (1994-1995): It's the development period of Chinese Academic Network (CANET). In April 1994, Peking University, Tsinghua University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences together built an information super highway, NCFC, which is connected to the Internet at a high speed of 64kbps. At the same time, the first level domain name .CN registration server was set up in China. From then on, China entered the world Internet family in deed.

　　The third period (1995-now): During this period, the Internet was put into commercial use in China. In September 1994, China Telecom began to be connected to the Internet with two specialized lines in Beijing and Shanghai respectively. In June 1995, the two lines in Beijing and Shanghai opened, enabling public access to the Internet. China Public Computer Internet (CHINANET) opened. Today, CHINANET is China's backbone network.

　　 CHINANET: China's Backbone Network

　　China Public Computer Internet (CHINANET) is China's backbone network, providing Internet access service for all domestic users. CHINANET is the largest Internet service provider (ISP) in China, and it is operated by the Data Communications Bureau, a data service operator under China Telecom.

　　Today, CHINANET has net nodes in 31 cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin. CHINANET's networks can be categorized into core network, regional network and connection network by their functions. Core networks are located at the 8 center offices of China Telecom; regional networks are located in provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions directly under the central government, connection networks are dispersed to most cities and developed counties.

　　CHINANET is connected to China Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), China Public Packet Switching Data Network (CHINAPAC), China Digital Data Network (CHINADDN) and China Frame Relay Network (CHINAFRN) and China Public E-mail System (CHINAMAIL), and users can choose different Internet access modes according to their needs.

　　After several years of vigorous growth, CHINANET has grown into a massive IP network with backbone bandwidth of 2.5gbps, over 80% of China's total gateway bandwidth to the Internet. It is estimated that CHINANET has more than 10 million registered customers and daily access exceeds 28 million. (There were 38.7 million Internet users by May 2002.)

　　 Major Four Public Data Communication Network

　　CHINADDN is a public data network operated by China Telecom. It was opened in October 1994. Now, its network has already covered all provincial capitals and more than 3,000 cities. CHINADDN can provide domestic and international DDN cable service and is China's information high way.

　　CHINAPAC is a national packet switching data network operated and managed by telecom departments. It was opened in September 1993. The network covers all provincial capitals and almost all the cities where telephone service is operational. It provides high quality and low cost international and domestic data communications services of different speeds and types, and for the sharing of resources of databases, and it also provides a good network environment for various value-added services such as e-mail, EDI, database retrieval and viedotex. By the end of 1996, CHINAPAC had been connected to 44 data networks in 23 countries and regions.

　　CHINAFRN is now under construction. The first phase of the project will cover 21 provincial capitals. The center of the network is located at the Data Communication Bureau of Beijing Post and Telecom Department, mainly providing high-speed data and multimedia services.

　　CHINAMAIL uses CHINAPAC's communication platform, providing all the users from PAC, PSTN with e-mail services. Users can change e-mails with Internet users from home and abroad, or with non-email users, such as computer terminals, printers, fax machines and telex.

　　At the turn of a new century, CAS proposed starting up a high-speed network project. The basic content of the project is that CAS, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, the Ministry of Railway and Shanghai municipal government work together, using the network already set up by these units, to connect big cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Wuhan. Then, a leading broadband IP network CAINET is going to be set up. It is expected to be set up in 1-1.5 years, plus an experimental period of 1.5-2 years.