Again and again rural issues come up in China’s development as foreign companies have trouble differentiating the uprise of first-tire cities from the rest of rural areas. Well today CNNIC released a report stating the number of of rural internet users, and considering the fact that CNNIC has been known to underestimate the number of users (by more than 50 million), this is an interesting statistic to look at. Indeed, it tells us much more about the top dozen or so first-tier cities, and proving that Sohu’s Zhang estimates of more than 240 million are closer to truth than previously thought (CNNIC estimate: 167 million).

Here is more information from the press release:

On September 7, 2007, the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) released the “2007 China’s rural Internet survey report,” This is our first release on the macro development of the Internet in rural areas and a comprehensive survey report. The report showed that the current scale of China’s rural areas more than 37 million Internet users, and this group concentrated on the use of the Internet in the entertainment function, the proportion of Internet users and towns flat.

The report indicated that as of June 2007, the scale of rural Internet users reached 37.41 million people, 737 million rural residents, the Internet penetration rate is only 5.1%; Compared to the scale of China’s urbanization reached 125 million users, the Internet penetration rate has reached 21. 6% of the urban and rural “digital divide” obvious.But compared with the end of 2006, the “digital divide” are gradually narrowing, the scale of Internet users in rural areas in 2006 was 23.1 million, the Internet penetration rate is 3.1%.

As of the end of 2006, rural households have computers volume of 2.7 units / 100, far below the towns of 47.2 Taiwan computer owners / 100, compared with the end of 2005, every hundred rural owned computers increased by 0.6 Taiwan, urbanization has increased 5.7 Taiwan.The report also showed that: in the web of reasons, “no corresponding equipment” not accounted for rural residents access 39.5%, the biggest reason, and this reason only town residents do not go on the 26.6%. The lack of home computers makes Internet cafes in rural areas account for over half (53.9%), far higher than the national ratio of 37.2% Internet cafes.Rural Internet infrastructure is weak, the Internet has become farmers and impede the development of rural Internet greatest bottleneck.

Netizens compared to urban, rural users of the Internet use in various functions of the initial comparison. Report: Rural Internet users look at the ratio of network news for the 66.5% of urban Internet users was 81.5%, lower than urban users 15%; The use of search engines for the proportion of 65.8% and 78.4% for urban users, a low near 13 %. In addition, rural Internet users use the Internet shopping, Internet banking and online stock trading function of the ratio much lower than urban users.

Investigations revealed that entertainment applications, in rural and urban Internet users considerable extent, rural Internet users use online music, online games, video network for the respective proportions of 68.9%, 47.1% and 60.9%, 68.4 for urban users %, 47.0% and 61.2%.

The data also show that: current students in the rural areas reached 15.75 million netizens scale, accounted for 42.1% of Internet users in rural areas than urban than 21%, and 6.7 million in 2006 compared to six months grew by 135.1%, the momentum of rapid growth. 60% of them said students often users access the Internet, use the Internet and the main purpose is entertainment. 60.8% of Internet users in rural primary and middle school students play online games, 90% of Internet users in rural primary and middle school students use the Internet music. Rural students and the size of Internet users, Internet entertainment in the rural areas of the town do not lose a major factor. At the same time, rural students into the science and health education is more necessary.

This is also devoted to rural workers on the Internet conducted a survey, data show that rural workers on the scale of Internet users reached 20 million people.This group on the Internet and the use of mobile Internet access, the average monthly cost for the Internet 86.6 yuan than the overall Internet users 75 yuan higher than 11 yuan, or even non-students than the overall population of Internet users costs 80.8 yuan even higher.

With the National Rural Construction of promoting information, the Internet has become a new rural important part of the building. 37 million rural Internet users have not to be underestimated consumer demand, and the rural areas that will become one of the Internet has enormous potential market, have emerged in the true sense of business. The government should take the lead in IT hardware and software vendors, Internet service providers and the entire information industry, the interest and attention of the rural space of the next great growth market, through policy, technical and commercial multi-drive, gradually narrowing the digital divide.

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Filed under: Reports - China, Internet Development, Globalization