Critical evaluation of China’s universal service policy: Toward a harmonious online nation
基于数据分析了中国2004年启动的普遍服务政策在缩小数字鸿沟方面的效果，发现网络覆盖率增长快于用户渗透率，且各省进展不均，建议从基础设施导向转向用户导向。
In response to the Communist Party’s call to build a harmonious society, China initiated its universal service program in 2004. This article aims to provide a data-based analysis of the effectiveness of China’s digital divide policy. While China has achieved significant progress in narrowing the interprovincial and urban-rural digital disparities at the national level, the advancement of the penetration rate has lagged behind the expansion of the network. In addition, as this study shows, not all provinces are making progress at the same rate. Laying of more fiber and erection of more towers have diminishing effects on narrowing China’s digital divide. To achieve a harmonious online nation, as sought by the Party, this study recommends that the Chinese regulators make a shift from the top-down infrastructure-centered approach to an end-user-oriented approach.