Fiber-optic internet now covers 11 cities across Shanxi province, marking a revolution in communications.

Shanxi Communication Administration has advanced the roll-out of communications infrastructure and broadband in the province since 2014, in order to boost modern information technologies, such as cloud computing and big data, along with the information-based economy in Shanxi. More than 34 billion yuan ($4.91 billion) has been invested in the fixed assets of communications services over the past three years.

Internet access to rural areas has also been improved. With a grant of some 39 million yuan from the central government and investment worth 300 million yuan from telecommunication companies, Shanxi upgraded 544,000 worn-out broadband connectors in rural regions in 2016, giving some 3,500 villages faster access to the internet. Fiber-optic internet connections are now available to 210,000 households in 662 villages.

During 2017, the province aims to bring fiber-optic internet connections to a further 1.2 million homes, in line with a government campaign to bring faster internet access to residential areas. And interprovince internet bandwidth will increase to 1,500 gigabits per second. Shanxi will also build 10,000 4G base stations.