But on February 4, the MII said it was seeking cabinet permission to cut the prices of a range of services, from phone installation to Internet fees. Internet-access charges may be halved. Meanwhile, for the really cash-strapped, the Buy Now computer market in Beijing offer shoppers free Internet surfing in hopes of encouraging computer sales. Onerous registration procedures are no longer an inescapable part of getting on-line. But people who find this intimidating now have other options.
Charges show up in the users' monthly phone bills.
Li Li, a Capital Online staffer, says 400,000 people have opened free e-mail accounts with the service. Again, no paperwork is required. The speedy broadband network opened in May 1998 and is accessible nationwide. Users do not need to register or pay any fees up front. The main drawback is that nonregistered users can only access Internet sites within the Chinese mainland, although they can exchange e-mail globally.