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To: Mike 2.0 who wrote (12351)	2/4/1998 12:40:00 PM
From: Moonray	Respond to of 22053

Forecasts lowered for Asian Internet use Reuters KUALA LUMPUR -- The number of Asian Internet users is expected to rise by 63 percent for the 1995-2001 period, slightly down on forecasts made before the region's economic crisis began in July, a research report showed on Wednesday. International Data Corp Asia Pacific (IDC) said the compound annual growth rate for Internet users had been forecast at 69 percent until Thailand devalued its baht currency in early July 1997. 'As of January 1998, revised forecasts show only a moderate change in compound annual growth rate for the region to 63 percent over the same period,'' the high-tech market research firm said in a statement. 'This is good news to local Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and vendors, as demand for their products and services will remain stable through 1998,'' it said. The impact of the currency crisis will be felt by local ISPs, said IDC senior Internet analyst Pete Hitchen. He said this is because the local ISPs buy bandwidth in U.S. dollars but charge customers in local currencies. 'There will be some fallout in the next few months from the poor economic conditions, however this will create a more streamlined ISP market environment which will benefit business users and consumers in the long run,'' Hitchen said in the statement. In a country breakdown, IDC said Thailand has seen slower Internet user growth, but that government initiatives are in place to ensure ''positive growth in 1998.'' For instance, Thai regulators have abolished floor pricing requirements for ISPs, which lowers prices for the end users. The Philippines should see smaller ISPs merge, and others closing due to the currency crisis, IDC said. At present, the country has over 130 ISPs. Pricing by ISPs remains steady although some groups are charging corporate customers in U.S. dollars to ease the effects of the devalued peso, IDC said. Indonesia has maintained pricing in local currency at its ISPs ''even in the face of moderate slowdown in the new consumer growth for ISP subscriptions', the statement said. It said that although there has been little growth in the number of Internet users in Indonesia, ''existing ISPs are still aggressively promoting Internet usage, and the larger ISPs are actively expanding their internet technology'. In Korea, IDC said the ''hardiness'' of the Internet market was evidenced by no decline in the ranks of the larger ISPs. On the contrary, a new large ISP started commercial service in 1997 and at least two ISPs will start operations in 1998, IDC said. ISPs in Singapore and Malaysia have been ''relatively unaffected'' by the currency crisis, IDC said. Although overall consumer spending has slowed in these countries along with the region, ''local ISPs are still looking for increased business'' due to government initiatives such as Singapore One and Malaysia's Multimedia Super Corridor, it said. Singapore One is a plan by the island nation to wire all homes and businesses in a single communications network, while the corridor is a proposed testbed for multimedia applications. o~~~ O