China to bolster network support for online learning amid epidemic

China vowed continued efforts to expand the coverage of the broadband network and upgrade internet access among primary and secondary schools to facilitate online learning for students amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said Monday.

Efforts will be made to encourage three major telecommunications operators - China Telecom, China Mobile and China Unicom - to roll out more convenient online learning services like cloud classrooms and free livestreaming, the MIIT said.

China Telecom, for instance, has provided online classes for primary and secondary schools across the country, with an average of over 10 million students watching every day. Greater support has been given to Hubei Province, the epicenter of the outbreak, enabling over 240,000 students to have access to cloud classrooms.

China has postponed the spring semester due to the coronavirus outbreak that has infected over 70,000 people nationwide as of Sunday. Millions of students staying at home turned to online learning as the back-to-school season started.

The MIIT said it would further pool its resources to provide greater assistance to students' online learning.

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