The overall Internet penetration rate of Taiwan is estimated at 67.69 percent, with approximately15.38 million Internet users, according to a report reaching from Taipei on Friday.

An estimated 5.25 million, or 72.11 percent, of households in Taiwan have Internet access, with 4.74 million households, or 65.05 percent, using broadband, the survey which released Friday by the Taiwan Network Information Center (TWNIC) showed.

The estimates were based on a survey conducted by the TWNIC between May 30 and June 30 among 3,192 Taiwan residents 12 years of age or older. It had a margin of error of 1.79 percentage points.

The survey shows that 67.93 percent of men in Taiwan were Internet users, which is higher than the 66.47 percent among women, and 80.64 percent of the individual Internet users had Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) broadband access.

The ratios of broadband Internet users were 63.82 percent among men and 61.91 percent among women.

The survey shows that 17.79 percent of the individual Internet users spend one hour to two hours per day on average on weekdays using the Internet, 15.9 percent spend two hours to three hours per day.

Also, the survey shows that the respondents use the Internet most often between 8 PM and 11 PM.

On the most frequently used functions by Internet users, 70.99percent of the respondents said they use the Internet most often to browse Web sites, 47.5 percent to send or receive e-mail, 34.38 percent to search data, 25.77 percent to use instant messengers to chat with friends, 22.52 percent to play online games and 12.49 percent to download software, the survey shows.

(Xinhua News Agency August 5, 2006)