China Aims To Improve Broadband Access In Rural And Remote Areas

At an Oct 14 meeting of the State Council Standing Committee presided over by Premier Li Keqiang, the State Council decided to bolster efforts to improve broadband and telecoms access in rural and remote areas, narrowing the "digital divide" and supporting economic development.

Details of new measures, posted on the website of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, include:

central government funding budget
local policy and capital support
private funded telecom construction and maintenance
public-private partnerships
stricter supervision of subsidies.

With the new measures, the State Council aims to provide broadband access to 50,000 additional villages, upgrading service to 30 million rural households by 2020, with an estimated investment of more than 140 billion yuan.