How can the construction of rural informatization be accelerated?
With the arrival of the internet age, the issue of rural informatization has attracted increasing attention. At present, in the process of rural informatization, mobile phones, as wireless communication tools, have become widespread in rural areas. Although the usage rate among urban residents is far higher than that in rural areas, mobile phones are still the network tool most used in rural areas. According to the "2014 Rural Internet Development Report" published in April 2015, as of December 2014, China had 649 million internet users, of whom 178 million were rural internet users, and the proportion of rural internet users using mobile phones to go online was as high as 81.9%. It can thus be seen that mobile phones have become farmers' first choice for going online.
Making good use of mobile phone network terminals to provide farmers with timely and effective agricultural information and scientifically beneficial health communication is of great significance for improving farmers' production capacity, living standards, and opportunities to increase income and become prosperous. Disseminating agricultural science and technology through mobile phone terminals is the most convenient, quick, and effective method; making use of young farmers' dominant position in the household and the mobile phone network terminal as a communication carrier is an effective way to carry out rural health communication; farmers' use of mobile phone network terminals to grasp first-hand information can provide information convenience for increasing income and becoming prosperous; online shopping and social platforms truly make farmers' lives more convenient, ensuring that farmers who remain on the land are no longer isolated and fully achieve communication with the world. Taking our province as an example, Jilin Province is a major agricultural province and a major national grain-producing area, with nearly half of its population being farmers, and as a new force, young farmers' grasp and use of online information has an immeasurable impact on many aspects of rural production, life, medical care, and health.
In the process of farmers using mobile phones to go online to promote agricultural and rural informatization, there are also some restrictive factors and problems that urgently need to be solved. First, network coverage has become the primary factor restricting farmers' mobile phone internet use. Broadband network access in every village is an important measure for advancing rural informatization, but due to the uneven development of the economy, culture, and communications undertakings among regions, Jilin Province has achieved full broadband network coverage only in urban areas, while some relatively remote and backward rural areas have not yet achieved broadband network coverage. In areas where broadband network coverage has been achieved, the coverage rate of WIFI in rural public areas is also very low, and many areas even have zero coverage, so farmers can only rely on mobile networks provided by mobile operators to go online. The high standard of mobile network data tariffs and the low coverage rate of 4G and 3G base stations restrict farmers' mobile phone internet use. As of the second half of 2015, the 4G base station coverage rate in Jilin Province was only 60%, and the 3G base station coverage rate was 90%. Because rural base station coverage is lower than that in urban areas, the mobile network coverage rate in rural Jilin Province is even lower than this set of figures. Low network coverage has become the primary factor restricting farmers' mobile phone internet use. Second, the lack of smartphone application technology and the shortage of targeted third-party applications have become technical difficulties for farmers using mobile phones to go online to develop production and make life more convenient. In recent years, as smartphone prices have become more affordable, more and more have been sold to rural markets, but apart from the functions of making and receiving calls, sending messages, and music broadcasting, the internet function is not mastered by all or most farmers. Many farmers worry that improper operation will cause "data overuse," so the lack of smartphone application technology training also hinders the progress of farmers' mobile phone internet use in Jilin Province.
On November 4 last year, the Ministry of Agriculture announced a plan to spend about 3 years training farmers in mobile phone application skills and informatization capabilities, so as to enhance farmers' ability to use modern information technology, especially mobile phones, to go online to develop production, facilitate life, and increase income and become prosperous. A relevant person in charge of the Ministry of Agriculture said that strengthening training and services for farmers' mobile phone internet use is an important measure for agricultural and rural informatization to "overtake on the curve" and for coordinated urban-rural development. In view of the actual development of rural informatization in Jilin Province, local governments at all levels should adopt effective countermeasures to truly achieve the goal of using mobile phone network terminals to serve farmers.
Solidly advance the construction of rural informatization. In rural informatization development planning, all localities should continue to advance the construction of rural broadband network and 4G base station coverage, and truly realize "network access in every village." Combine network access with "poverty alleviation through science and technology" and "targeted poverty alleviation," so that remote and backward rural areas in Jilin Province can, like more developed urban areas, enjoy network resources and embark on a new path out of poverty toward prosperity. County and township governments can refer to the experience of WIFI coverage in urban public areas and, in light of local conditions, plan and build free wireless network services for villagers on an administrative village basis, so that farmers truly have a network to use in their villages.
Effectively carry out rural information technology training. All localities should open information technology training classes for farmers and popularize modern information technology among farmers, such as the internet functions of smartphones, internet knowledge, and online banking payment skills. At the same time, scientific research departments should design and develop targeted third-party applications according to farmers' actual needs for developing production, facilitating life, and increasing income and becoming prosperous. At present, domestically developed apps specially designed for farmers are extremely rare, and Jilin Province is still in a blank state. In order to actively cooperate with and adapt to farmers' mobile phone internet use, agricultural researchers and information technology personnel should be organized to jointly research and develop farmer apps. Apps that precisely serve farmers can not only increase farmers' enthusiasm for going online, but the realization of their value is also the true significance of rural informatization.