MEDIA-I: China portals roll out service charges

<p>BEIJING: The days of free internet services are numbered in China </p><p>as Chinadotcom joins the growing list of portals planning to charge for </p><p>content and services which were previously free. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The portal said it will charge mainland users for its email service, </p><p>explaining that this had been improved to offer greater security and </p><p>storage. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Other portals in China have also announced that they will charge the </p><p>country's estimated 20 million users for services such as email, as </p><p>advertising revenues continue to dwindle, as part of moves to achieve </p><p>profitability. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Chinadotcom chief investment officer, Jack W. Lin, said the new charges </p><p>would help the company "better monetise its portal network". </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"We are simultaneously offering new and improved fee-based online </p><p>services to our substantial registered user base, while strengthening </p><p>our financial positioning to invest in products and services," said </p><p>Lin. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Rival Sina.com, along with global portals like Yahoo, is also </p><p>introducing charges. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>In another development, Chinadotcom has launched a Short Messaging </p><p>Service (SMS) in the country. According to China Mobile, the number of </p><p>SMS sent through the web is expected to reach 10 billion this year. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Chinadotcom's SMS service connects eight branches of China Mobile to </p><p>offer coverage across major cities. The portal has partnered with </p><p>Cellstar, a handset distributor in China, to launch the service. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The fee-based email offering is part of Chinadotcom's overall programme </p><p>of subscription services. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>In July this year, the company's subsidiary Hongkong. com introduced </p><p>fee-based online services, including e-Match, a dating service, and </p><p>@-Class, an English-language course for internet users. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>