Steps will boost Internet speed, cut costs

%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3ELong-awaited%20measures%20to%20create%20a%20faster%2C%20cheaper%20Internet%20network%20have%20been%20unveiled%20by%20the%20State%20Council.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3ETelecom%20companies%20will%20be%20encouraged%20to%20increase%20average%20broadband%20connection%20speeds%20by%20at%20least%2040%20percent%20in%20urban%20areas.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EWednesday%27s%20executive%20meeting%20of%20the%20State%20Council%20also%20addressed%20a%20controversial%20issue%20by%20urging%20companies%20to%20roll%20over%20the%20value%20of%20unused%20data%20in%20fixed%20price%20plans%20to%20the%20next%20period%20or%20allow%20customers%20to%20transfer%20unused%20data%20to%20others.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EThe%20meeting%2C%20presided%20over%20by%20Premier%20Li%20Keqiang%20%2C%20said%20optical%20fiber%20and%20fourth-generation%20telecom%20networks%20should%20be%20laid%20more%20quickly%2C%20and%20it%20set%20a%20goal%20of%20achieving%20investment%20worth%20more%20than%201%20trillion%20yuan%20%28%24160%20billion%29%20in%20the%20Internet%20this%20year.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EAn%20open%20market%2C%20fair%20competition%20and%20more%20financial%20support%20will%20help%20to%20upgrade%20broadband%20services%20in%20rural%20areas.%20The%20meeting%20decided%20to%20narrow%20the%20digital%20gap%20between%20urban%20and%20rural%20areas%20by%20increasing%20financial%20support%20for%20the%20improvement%20of%20facilities%20in%20the%20countryside.%20In%20addition%2C%2014%2C000%20more%20villages%20will%20be%20connected%20to%20the%20Internet.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EThe%20government%20has%20made%20no%20secret%20of%20the%20increasing%20emphasis%20it%20places%20on%20the%20Internet%20industry%20as%20a%20means%20of%20revitalizing%20growth%20and%20improving%20people%27s%20livelihoods.%20However%2C%20there%20have%20been%20many%20complaints%20about%20Internet%20services%20being%20too%20expensive%20and%20cumbersome%2C%20with%20uneven%20quality%20in%20urban%20and%20rural%20areas.%20The%20country%20was%20ranked%2082nd%20globally%20in%20terms%20of%20average%20connection%20speed%20at%20the%20end%20of%20last%20year%2C%20according%20to%20Internet%20service%20provider%20Akamai%20Technologies.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EWen%20Weiping%2C%20a%20researcher%20from%20the%20School%20of%20Software%20and%20Microelectronics%20at%20Peking%20University%2C%20said%20most%20startups%20are%20in%20the%20Internet%20industry.%20The%20cost%20of%20subscribing%20to%20Internet%20services%20usually%20amounts%20to%20tens%20of%20thousands%20of%20yuan%20annually%20and%20is%20a%20burden%20on%20fledgling%20companies.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EXiang%20Ligang%2C%20a%20telecom%20researcher%20and%20founder%20of%20the%20industry%20website%20cctime.com%2C%20said%20the%20goal%20of%20increasing%20speed%20and%20lowering%20costs%20will%20not%20be%20difficult%20to%20achieve%20if%20the%20number%20of%20people%20using%20the%20Internet%20increases.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EThis%20will%20drive%20large-scale%20investment%20ranging%20from%20hardware%20manufacturing%20to%20infrastructure%20construction%2C%20Xiang%20added.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3E%3CBR%3E%28China%20Economic%20Net%29%3CBR%3E%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E