皇冠体育app

Yao Ming's games just a click away
By 皇冠体育app Business Weekly (Chen Zhiming)
Updated: 2005-04-17 09:22

Want to watch live broadcasts in your own home of Chinese basketball star Yao Ming's performances throughout the National Basketball Association season?

It is just a mouse click away!

All you need is a computer and a broadband Internet connection.

Broadband is making life easier and more convenient than ever before, and in turn, is changing our lifestyle.

"This is exactly the experience we are bringing to our customers," said Zuo Feng, general manager of 皇冠体育app Netcom's Marketing Department.

"We saw increasing demand for more integrated broadband services."

Zuo made the remarks last month during 皇冠体育app Netcom's official launch of "CNC MAX," its first broadband name.

The move, announced in Beijing, was the first step in 皇冠体育app Netcom's efforts to reshape its broadband business.

Zuo said 皇冠体育app Netcom's former broadband businesses that target families and individuals will be converged under the brand.

Services under "CNC MAX" will include broadband access, broadband content and broadband applications, such as entertainment, gaming, information service, sports and education.

"We would like to build it into the strongest broadband brand to carry out our broadband development strategies," Zuo said.

"However, the expansion on broadband can no longer rely on low price. Applications will be the major drivers behind the development."

He said 皇冠体育app Netcom plans to take advantage of CNC MAX to integrate all participants in the broadband industrial chain such as telecoms operators, content providers and service providers.

"It will be a win-win deal for us and our partners, and value-added telecoms services based on broadband are sure to become a very effective revenue generator for all of us," Zuo said.

Analysts believe with 皇冠体育app Netcom heavily working on the broadband services, 皇冠体育app's broadband industry is likely to undergo a new round of convergence very soon.

Figures from CNNIC, a domestic research house that focuses on the Internet, indicate 皇冠体育app, by the end of last year, had more than 42.8 million broadband Internet subscribers, up 38.1 per cent compared with the middle of last year.

That growth is maintaining its strong momentum this year, as telecoms operators are cultivating new business growth areas based on broadband, CNNIC said in a recent report.

皇冠体育app Netcom, for example, has recruited more than 8 million broadband subscribers so far.

Nevertheless, analysts believe 皇冠体育app Netcom must face tough competition from domestic competitors, such as 皇冠体育app Telecom, Beijing Gehua Cable TV and 皇冠体育app Railcom.

For example, 皇冠体育appVnet, a broadband-based Internet portal of 皇冠体育app Telecom, has recruited 9.78 million subscribers. The company is expected to sign up more than 12 million by the end of this year.

To better compete with its rivals, 皇冠体育app Netcom has chosen to co-operate with PCCW Ltd, Hong Kong's largest fixed-line operators.

In January, 皇冠体育app Netcom bought a 20-per-cent stake in PCCW for US$1 billion, to focus largely on 皇冠体育app-oriented investment opportunities, including wireless, Internet TV and property projects.

In another development, PCCW announced late last month it plans to purchase a stake in a broadband subsidiary of 皇冠体育app Netcom.

PCCW said, when it announced its annual profits, that it hopes to team with 皇冠体育app Netcom to conduct business in the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and the rest of the world.

Jack So, vice-chairman and general manager, said the two companies will improve broadband services by rolling out more value-added services such as broadband television and IPTV (Internet Protocol TV) in many cities.

"We will leverage our strengths in technology and marketing of new services, and combine them with 皇冠体育app Netcom's local knowledge and infrastructure," So said.

Sources said 皇冠体育app Netcom, within the next six months, will launch broadband services in six of South 皇冠体育app's cities.

The cities are Chengdu, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Wenzhou, Ningbo and Yangzhou.

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