The subscriber base is further expected to reach the 13 lakh by March 2001, a 145 per cent increase over the previous year. This high growth rate is also being fuelled by the increase in number of installed personal computers (PCs). The high penetration rate of internet-ready PCs in the home segment is leading to fast internet adoption rates by the home user, the latest IDC report on internet/intranet said.

As on July 31, 1999 when this survey was conducted, the small/medium organisations had the largest portion at 1.3 lakh or 41.7 per cent of the subscriber base. Large organisations were next, with a subscriber base of nearly 97,000 or 31 per cent of the total subscribers.

The home segment showed a healthy growth in its subscriber base share over its November 1998 share of 8.9 per cent. In the next few years, the home and small/medium sized segments will experience unprecedented growth in terms of internet connectivity.

Meanwhile, the number of internet online users in the Asia Pacific region outside of Japan will be around 21.8 million by the end of 1999, spending over $2.2 billion, IDC said.

IDC said in a statement this compares with 12.9 million Internet users in 1998 and spending of $722.7 million. Internet research manager for IDC Asia Pacific Pete Hitchen said the forecast only includes users who spend more than 10 hours per week online and discounts double usage at work and in the home.

The market research firm said business, retail and education use was fuelling growth adding that more internet content suppliers and foreign entry in Asia had bolstered expansion.

IDC said the compound annual growth rate of Internet users in the 13 Asia Pacific countries for 1997-2003 was 56 per cent, up from a 47 per cent forecast in February this year.

The research firm pegged the number of regional Internet users at 95.2 million by the end of 2004, generating $87.5 billion in online revenues. IDC said China, India and South Korea, which saw rapid growth in usage over the past nine months, were the key regional areas of opportunity.