How the World Works

One company: 300 million Chinese cellphone users

Also: that Internet thing? Still popular in China

Two data points from China, thanks to the China Net Investor blog.

  • One single Chinese telephone company, China Mobile, now has 301 million wireless subscribers. As of July 2006, the population of the United States was estimated at 298,444,215.
  • According to the China Internet Network Information Center the number of Internet users in China reached 137 million at the end of 2006, jumping by 26 million, or 23.4 percent, from 2005.

What should we make of this information, outside of standing agape at the sheer boggling-ness of large numbers? The cultural implications will surely be wide-ranging.

But the increase in spam, viruses, and associated malware may well be too much for civilization to withstand.

About How the World Works

A conversation about globalization.

Globalization in the news

Loading...

Currently in Salon

  • From Balloon Boy to Sarah Palin's death panels, the media chased a lot of hoaxes in 2009 and called them news
  • Special ho-ho-ho-infused, not-quite-gift-guide edition: MST3K, Wenders, film noir, wine snobs and more
  • From cash-strapped polygamists to rogue lawn mowers at Sterling Cooper, the greatest shows dared to provoke
  • Grab a partner. You have some cooking to do. Plus: Last week's winners
  • At least, I was until now. Because in my circle, nothing is more embarrassing than being religious
  • What the Democrats can learn from the Republicans about managing the ménage à trois within the party
  • Sex scandals, swine flu, tea parties, Michele Bachmann -- and that's just the first half of 2009
  • Jacob Hacker breaks with fellow progressives, comes out in favor of the Senate's proposal
  • She never became Hollywood's It girl, but she was as daffy and heartbreaking as her A-list contemporaries
  • It's spawned a VH1 show and an excuse for Tiger Woods. But some experts balk at the idea of being hooked on nooky

Other News