Southwest China’s Guizhou Province was home to 9.23 million registered impoverished residents in 2012, making it the provincial-level region with the largest poor population in the country. The province has eliminated absolute poverty and become the country’s major big data hub in just a decade. Guizhou is now one of the eight national computing hubs. An increasing number of big data and other technological projects have boosted Guizhou’s digital economy. According to a development report on China’s digital economy released in early July, the value-added output of the digital economy in Guizhou increased by 20.6 percent year on year in 2021, and the growth rate was 4.4 percentage points higher than the national average, ranking first in the country for seven consecutive years. This development also benefits farmers. LED display screens installed outdoors shows the temperature, humidity and soil condition. The growth of the tea is tracked in real time by dozens of digital devices installed at the base, offering data support for scientific management and protection of the tea garden. With the big data industry taking root in Guizhou, digital applications are becoming increasingly popular, and digital management through intelligent apps has become a trend in rural areas. Thus, early warning messages on a mobile app reminding on abnormally high body temperatures in sows through ear tag of each pig. Big data system have helped to improve the survival rates of pigs to over 96 percent,” Fei said.
Automatic guided vehicles (AGV) carry materials in a fully 5G-equipped factory of Guizhou Tyre Co. A “neural network” has been created through digital technology, and a large number of high-quality data are stably transmitted and analyzed in the data center, which provide support for the process optimization in the factory.
Suitable climate, sufficient power and stable geological conditions have made it possible for Guizhou to take the lead in starting new digital infrastructure construction. Currently, there are 25 key data centers in Guizhou, including 11 super-large ones. The province is one of the regions with the largest number of super-large data centers globally. Remote medicine has improved medical service in faraway areas, and locals can consult an expert doctor in the village. The “digital village” is becoming a reality, with a gradual change in the traditional production and lifestyle, helping to narrow the gap between urban and rural areas.
