In rural China, 670 million mobile subscribers – equivalent to half of the country's population – have started actively demanding internet access anytime, according to an extensive study by Ericsson Consumer Lab.
Some highlights of the study:
- In rural China, ownership of fixed-line phones has declined to 46 percent, while ownership of mobile phones has increased to 90 percent.
- Ownership of home PCs has reached 31 percent, and 16 percent of respondents indicated that they planned to purchase a PC in the next 12 months.
- Individual entertainment such as using a PC to browse the web, or a mobile phone to chat online, is becoming more popular among rural Chinese residents.
- In all, 41 percent of the respondents said that "Internet access anytime, anywhere" was very important to them.
The study covers rural areas in 18 provinces across China, including interviews with more than 2,000 local villagers. Further details are online.
http://www.ericsson.com/news/110601-ict-revolution_244188810_c
