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China's rural netizens surpass 100m

By Zhang Jiawei (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-04-16 17:24
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Internet users in China's rural areas reached 106.81 million by the end of 2009, an increase of 26.3 percent year-on-year, chinanews.com.cn reported Friday, citing a report released Thursday by the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC).

The report said 68 percent of rural residents use desktop computers to get access to the Internet. Cell phones are also becoming important devices for rural netizens to surf the Internet, with 71.89 million people doing it this way, up 79.3 percent from the previous year.

A total of 69.2 percent of Internet users in rural areas are under 30 years old, and those younger than 19 account for 41.1 percent.

According to the report, 44.6 percent of China' urban residents use the Internet by the end of 2009, while in rural areas the proportion was only 15 percent.