Despite its low penetration in China's vast rural areas the Internet is generally perceived as
a new engine for rural empowerment. By examining five Internet application initiatives in rural
China this book offers a unique view of the diffusion and usage of the Internet and its
implications on the lives of rural people. Placed in the political socioeconomic and
infrastructure contexts of rural China the book departs from the classical diffusion of
innovations model and extends the existing knowledge on the adoption and usage of the Internet
by rural people. In addition to testing the applicability of the diffusion of innovations
theory to the diffusion of Information and Communications Technologies in the rural areas today
the study provides rich empirical evidence regarding the actual impact of the Internet on the
livelihood of rural people. It also shows some innovative uses of the Internet in rural
development.
