Wi-Fi market in China

Beginning in 2001, the China Wi-Fi industry experienced a period of growth in three primary application markets:
Telecom Operators Market
Home Internet Service and Provisioning of Wi-Fi Equipment: Telecom operators provide Wi-Fi internet access service for home users for a monthly fee.
Hotspot Application: Telecom operators set up a publicly-available Wi-Fi network for use by any person with an account. The fees, generally calculated by the minute of use, are paid according to the stipulations of individual operators.

Enterprise Network (Customer Premises Network)
Campus/Educational Application: Wi-Fi network is constructed by the educational institution for use by students and teachers.
Corporate Application: Wireless LAN access to a corporate network or for specialized use such as wireless data collection in an industrial environment (factory or warehouse).

Consumer/Home Use Market
Individual users purchase Wi-Fi equipment and set up their own Wi-Fi network, using the telecommunication provider’s cable network for access.

The Wi-Fi Alliance is planning its first annual China Wi-Fi Summit on September 26, 2007. 'China is very important to the Wi-Fi industry, due to increasing adoption of the technology in Chinese homes and enterprises, as well as the key role that Chinese firms play in the development of Wi-Fi equipment and services,' said Wi-Fi Alliance managing director Frank Hanzlik. 'We believe the time is right for a world-class event such as the China Wi-Fi Summit, so that Chinese and multinational firms can come together for learning and networking. 'The China Wi-Fi Summit will feature a two-day conference featuring keynote addresses and panel discussions on a wide range of technical and business topics. In addition, the conference will feature a vendor expo with product demonstrations and interoperability testing events. The Wi-Fi Alliance and BII group expect that Chinese firms and multinational corporations alike will participate in the event as demonstrators, speakers, and sponsors. This event further signals the significant growth of the Wi-Fi market, with an installed base of three hundred million users and a worldwide growth rate of 25% per year. Chinese firms are increasingly developing equipment for the world Wi-Fi market, as well as the Chinese market. According to Analysis, the size of the China market for networking equipment is expected to exceed RMB10.3 billion next year. (10RMB= 1Euro)