<<Everyone they randomly polled had a telephone, which automatically leaves out 95% of the population. >>
If you don't have a telephone at home, how can you have Internet access? I know, I know, cable, dish can access too, but those have not yet existed in China. So telephone interview is the most reasonable way to make a survey on Internet use in China.
Your estimates on the number of telephones are way off. In terms of the population in China's big cities, 30%+ already have wired telephones at home. And I think this Internet business in China is only subject to cities, at least right now, and in the near future. If including the cell phone, the percentage will be even higher. Just the three cities -- Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou -- have more cell phones than the whole Untied States.
I have 5 sisters and Brothers in Beijing, and all of them have wired telephones at home, and mind you that they are not that successful in the last 10 years or so. As a matter of fact, their salary are among the low to medium. In other word, those who really get rich and benefit a lot from the economic reform will have more than one telephone, wired and cell phone.
China is changing rapidly, and many people here in the states don't even realize this. What a pity! |
