Tibetan internet usage rate surges 60%

In recent years, thanks to rapid development in communications industry, Tibet’s internet usage rate has surged 60 percent, people.cn reported.

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, known as the “roof of the world”, is getting closer ever more with the rest of the world.

By the end of March this year, the number of mobile internet users in Tibet reached 16,390,000 individuals, bringing coverage for internet to 60.1 percent. Furthermore, in the same period broadband internet users increased by 22.3 percent.

The Ngari prefecture, regarded the “top of world's roof”, has very difficult conditions, yet citizens living here can also experience convenient and fast internet. The Coqen County is being engaged in the demonstrative ecommerce project for agricultural areas. Currently, the nine local individual Taobao shops have already started selling Tibetan Incense, golden purple wool products and others amounting to more than 40 thousand yuan. Meanwhile, the total ecommerce sales for the county amount to nearly 5 million yuan.

All of Tibet’s communications industries have been conducted cost reduction programs according to the demands of the state as well as the local realities. Numbers indicate that Tibet’s mobile and landline internet service charges have reduced 15.8 and 21.8 percent respectively.

“This year we will implement mobile communications coverage for 300 natural villages and strengthen support for broadband development in agricultural areas,” said Qingqi Chang, chief of the Tibet Communications Management Bureau.

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