On May 17, World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, data from Hainan indicated substantial progress in the number of Internet users and the use of information and communication technology for social and economic development as well as the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP).

By the end of 2020, the number of netizens in the province reached 7,635,300, an increase of 123,000 from the end of 2019. In addition, 5G users have grown rapidly, with their number reaching 1.99 million by the end of March this year, officials from the Hainan Provincial Communications Administration (HPCA) said at a press conference on May 16.

The netizens used social media and e-commerce apps mostly for instant messaging, mobile shopping and short video services. WeChat ranked first in usage with 82.8 percent mobile user coverage, while the Taobao app for online shopping ranked second with 50.7 percent, followed by short video-sharing platform Douyin with 48 percent.

From January to March 2021, fixed asset investment in Hainan's information and communication industry grew rapidly, reaching 980 million yuan ($152.16 million) a year-on-year increase of 58.5 percent. It was 52.1 percentage points higher than the national average of 6.4 percent.

All cities and counties in Hainan have basic 4G network coverage. The 195 towns across the province also have full 4G coverage and fixed-line broadband Internet access. All 2,644 administrative villages in the province have access to the optical fiber and 4G network.

This year, the HPCA will continue to accelerate the network coverage and enhance services to create better communication facilities for the development of the Hainan FTP.