Application of the SMS platform in rural informatization

Constrained by affordability, access to information via PC is expensive for most rural people in developing countries like China. However, wireless telecommunication infrastructures have been deployed successfully under the Universal Service Policies in recent years, and mobile phone penetration has rapidly increased. Under such circumstances, it could be an efficient way to advance informatization by using a platform based upon mobile phones in a short time, and it might stimulate more and more information demands when farmers get the benefit from convenient information access. Taking a typical county in northern China as a case, this paper introduces an operable integrated solution. Compared with traditional ways that telecom operators usually dominate the whole process to promote informatization, "SP+Operators" solution is more efficient, economical, practical and multi-beneficial. In reality, the solution is worth broad deployment.