QINGYUAN, Guangdong Province: Intel (China) Ltd yesterday signed an agreement with the Guangdong Provincial Information Industry Department to promote the use of information technology in rural areas of the province.

Under the agreement Intel will provide financial and technological support and human resources to the province's programme of IT applications for rural areas.

The programme provides training, construction of IT application experience centres, development of information resources and content, development of affordable and practical computers and software, as well as service promotions.

Together with the department, Intel (China) Ltd will set up 100 IT application experience centres in the province and offer training courses for 3,000 rural information service staff members, who are expected to teach a rural population of 1 million how to make good use of IT applications throughout the province.

The IT application experience centres, by integrating the resources of the government, computer manufacturers, Internet operators and content providers, will be able to train the rural population on how to use a computer, how to use the Internet and produce Internet ads for their products.

The centres will also offer Internet access to rural people who cannot afford personal computers and will offer professional consultation services, free of charge, to the rural population on how to buy computers.

One thousand IT application experience centres will be set up over three years in the province.

"IT application in rural areas is a long-term and systematic project," said Jane Price, Intel China country manager. "It is Intel's long-term commitment to offer all kinds of support for the promotion of the project."

She said Intel has also participated in the pilot work of rural IT applications in Beijing, Sichuan, Chongqing, Shandong, Henan and Yunnan.

Price said Intel's involvement in the rural IT applications programme in Guangdong and in other parts of China is in accordance with the company's "World Ahead Programme."

With capital inputs of more than US$1 billion over the coming five years, Intel's "World Ahead Programme" aims to expedite access to technology and education for people in developing communities worldwide.

The programme aims to create opportunities for widespread ownership and use of personal computers through affordability, access and content, and to expand wireless broadband Internet access and prepare students for success in the global economy.

Vice-Minister of the Information Industry Gou Zhongwen spoke highly of Guangdong's efforts to promote IT applications in its rural regions, saying that the province's IT programme has become a vanguard of the nation.

Guangdong began providing IT applications in rural areas in 2003 after earmarking 175 million yuan (US$21.58 million) for the programme.

Editor: Yan