More Rural Netizens, But Urban-Rural Gap Remains

The latest China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) report shows that at the end of 2014, Internet users in rural China amounted to 178 million, 1.88 million more than the previous year. This increment, however, represents only one tenth of that for urban netizens. The Internet, now that it is more accessible, is playing a bigger role in the daily life and work of rural residents, but predominantly for entertainment rather than as a platform for diversified services as it is for urbanites. Many urban dwellers use their smart phones to book air tickets and taxis, and to shop, but most of their rural peers use their handsets mainly for gaming and browsing news.