China's two major internet service providers have been embroiled in monopoly allegations for the past month or so, and it looks like their pain will eventually be our bandwidth's gain. On Friday, China Telecom and China Unicom asked the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) to halt their investigation into alleged monopolistic behavior. In exchange, they pledged to improve internet speed and China Telecom went as far as saying it would lower broadband costs by up to 35%. more ›

We're happy to see some people with initiative out there! Instead of repeatedly banging head against desk and bemoaning the fact that Shanghai has the slowest internet in China, Toby Simkin went out and found another provider! Big ups to him for doing speed tests when he made the switch from Shanghai Telecom to Oriental Cable Network (OCN.com.cn), which is operated by China Unicom. The numbers speak volumes, and apparently Shanghai Telecom is actually charging you 30% more for shittier internet! (Update: Reader comments have noted that this test is flawed for various reasons and may not be as sweet a deal as it seems. Check them out below.) more ›

Subscribers to China Telecom's broadband services will get compensation if their internet is found to be slower than the standard by an online speed test, said the company. more ›

One of the points brought up at the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (Shanghai Edition) was that, in order to become a "smart city," Shanghai ought to have cheaper broadband. Citing figures from Japan and South Korea, various professors from around town argued that Shanghai's current network was slow and expensive. 2008 figures pegged China's average internet speed at around 1.8Mbps for 46.6RMB a month - based on "average monthly incomes in each country," that's 18 times the price paid in South Korea (for 40Mbps average) and 51.5 times that of Japan (for 63Mbps average). Granted, that's some very weird math being done there - average incomes in Japan/South Korea and China are hardly comparable - but if it leads to faster, cheaper internet, I don't care what numbers are brought up! more ›

Avid Youtube watchers rejoice, the days you struggled against the slow crawl of the Chinese Internet may soon be a relic of the past! Shanghai's Science and Technology Commission announced that the city will be getting an Internet service 50 to 100 times faster than current speeds sometime this year. more ›