Reducing digital divide in remote Yunnan

A China Mobile staff member moves building materials by riding a zip line. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

But in 2014, thanks to the efforts of telecom carriers including China Mobile and China Unicom, the Dulong became the first ethnic minority group to access 4G services in China. The process, however, was by no means easy. Ma Chunhai, deputy general manager of China Mobile's Gongshan branch, recalled that every year, only two months offer a prime time for construction in Dulong township and, because of the geographical barriers, it was extremely difficult to transport all the materials needed to build base stations, making the transportation costs incredibly high.

Ma and his colleagues also had to frequently climb over Gongshan Mountain to find appropriate locations to build base stations, even in heavy wind and snow.

But finally, in June 2014, 4G services were commercialized across Dulong township. So far, it is covered by 34 base stations, allowing local residents to enjoy the information highway, even though there's no geographical highway connecting the village with the outside world. In 2015, China Mobile also invested nearly 3 million yuan to send about 5,000 of its own-brand smartphones to villagers in Dulong township and help them learn how to use smartphones to sell agricultural products online, watch videos and gain opportunities to acquire more knowledge.