4M broadband to cover 70% of Chinese users

BEIJING - More than 70 percent of China's Internet users will enjoy access to broadband Internet services in 2013, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said Tuesday.

The percentage of users with access to 4M or faster services climbed 23 percentage points to 63 percent in 2012 from the previous year, said Miao Wei, minister of industry and information technology.

Fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) services will cover 35 million households this year, as FTTH households grew by 49 million to reach 94 million in 2012, Miao said.

The government also hopes to add more than 25 million new fixed-line broadband subscriber households, as the number of fixed-line broadband subscriber households rose by 25.1 million to 175 million in 2012, Miao said.

Other goals expanding the number of public wireless hot spots by 1.3 million, Miao said.

FTTH refers to a form of fiber-optic communication delivery that reaches one living or working space. The fiber extends from a central office to the subscriber's living or working space.