Although the Internet was introduced into China in the early 1990s, only 7.2 per cent of the Chinese population have access to it - around 94 million people. Not knowing how to use computers and the Internet or not having equipment to get online are the two main reasons why the other 92.8 per cent remain in the dark about the Net, according to a report by the China Internet Network Information Centre (CINIC) in January.

The possession of domain names and websites also shows a digital divide between developed and developing areas in the country.

Take websites as an example. More than 88 per cent of websites have their offices in North China, East China and South China where the economy is developing better. However, Northeast China, Southwest China and Northwest China only have 11.2 per cent of China's websites.

It has become a cliche to say the Internet has made the world smaller by making communication between people around the world easier and instantaneous. But actually, the Internet continues to be the domain of a privileged minority.

The digital disparity should arouse our immediate attention and efforts should be made to address it.

Government efforts to achieve a universal service are absolutely necessary. A universal service is a process of eliminating barriers so everyone has the opportunity to use communication systems for meaningful and effective participation in all aspects of society, from the economy to culture, from policy decision-making to community life.

Achieving a universal service requires providing a connection for everyone who wants to get online, no matter where they live or work. The government should ensure it gives enough cash to build the information infrastructure in less developed areas and should enact laws to encourage Internet service providers to "go west."

In April 2003, the Ministry of Science and Technology launched a 200-million-yuan (US$24 million) project called "Narrow the Digital Divide - the Western Action." Two years later, great progress has been achieved.

In the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, for example, multimedia online classrooms and rural information websites have been set up in more than 100 primary and middle schools.

In the Tibet Autonomous Region, a full-scale information platform was established in July last year to provide online technology for Tibetans.

These are encouraging steps for western areas but far from enough.

Training and support are also very important. As the CINIC survey indicates, if people do not know how to use computers and the Internet then they cannot get online.

An easy way to popularize the Internet in less-developed area is to encourage university student volunteers, who are among the most frequent users of the Internet, to help people in their hometowns during holidays.

However, giving people equipment, offering training and helping them feel comfortable with the online culture does not automatically mean an effective and meaningful use of the Internet.

Both the government and Internet service providers should co-operate to provide healthy and meaningful information for netizens. Otherwise, violence and other unhealthy and dirty content will enter households.

Some Tsinghua University research at the end of last year found that using the Internet has a negative impact on people's feelings of satisfaction in daily life; the longer people use computers and go online, the less satisfaction they feel.

However, when people use the Internet in a constructive way, for example, for the e-commerce, study and work, they feel more satisfied and fulfilled.

By publicizing the good uses of the Internet in the media and educating young people at school, we can then call on them to use the Internet to accomplish personally and socially meaningful tasks.

Affordability is another problem that needs to be addressed. Policies should be set to encourage the use of the Internet, including a reduction of fees for getting wired up.

The government should provide subsidies to companies providing Internet services in less developed areas. Also, by inviting competition among Internet service providers, the government can thus bring the price down and help the information-poor to get online.

To narrow the digital divide in cities, the government should build community Internet posts to provide free access for the poor. Guangzhou has set a good example. According to a recent Xinhua report, the Guangzhou municipal government and some businesses have co-operated to provide a free Internet service and training for farmers in rural areas and people on low incomes in the city starting this year.