Almost Half Of Population Internet Users
By Azlan Othman

Bandar Seri Begawan - Bruneians are IT savvy where almost half of the country's population are Internet users, latest figures from the Authority for Info-Communications Technology Industry (AiTi) of Brunei Darussalam revealed. As of June 2007, the number of Internet users in the Sultanate stood at 176,029.

However, only 4.8 per cent of the population (19,495) is Internet subscribers. The majority of them (11,181) are paying for high-speed broadband Internet access, while the rest are dial-up users.

"One of the reasons why many people in Brunei are now connected to the World Wide Web is that computers and laptops are now more affordable for the general public," said Aza, a sales executive from Concepts Commercial Suppliers.

Easy access to computer loans particularly for students, as well as the availability of WiFi (wireless Internet) hotspots in the country has also boosted the use of computers in the country, she said, adding that it is now the norm for people to own at least one computer.

Chris, a staff of Beseller Sdn Bhd, agreed. "Almost every household (in Brunei) has at least a desktop computer or laptop that is connected to the World Wide Web via broadband or dial-up," he said, adding that most students go online to chat and play games.

According to businessman Shahzuin; the growing popularity of social-networking sites such as Friendster and Facebook, as well as blogging sites, is another reason why so many Bruneians are using the Internet.

"I enjoy downloading songs and movies," he said, adding that he would sometimes surf the web until the wee hours.

Meanwhile, AiTi said that the international Internet bandwidth for Brunei was 555 Mbps (megabits per second), while the international Internet bandwidth per inhabitant stood at 1.42 Kbps (kilobits per second).  -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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