MyWeb Inc.com Thursday launched its bundled Internet service in China, bringing set-top box Internet access linked to the company’s Chinese-language portal, MyWeb Online China.
The move follows a recent deal with Beijing Post and Telegraph to bring 200,000 MyWeb set-top box sets into the Beijing market this year.
The company expects MyWeb to succeed in China by offering Internet access which allows users to go online without having to purchase a PC. The set-top box costs 1,488 yuan (US$180), which MyWeb estimates as roughly one-third the price of a low-end PC in China.
“MyWeb will make the Internet more accessible to the average Chinese household than ever before,” said Danny Toe, MyWeb’s chief operating officer.
MyWeb, which targets emerging markets in Asia and Latin America, boasts rapid growth in Malaysia and Singapore. Toe called entry to the Chinese market the next logical step for the company.
China’s current Internet user base now totals around 2.2 million, but is projected to grow to 10 million by next year following the Chinese government’s pro-Internet campaign. China has an estimated 11 million PCs, while there over 300 million TV’s located in households in China, according to MyWeb.
