URUMQI — Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region to invest more than 330 million yuan (around $47 million) for the construction of 4G base stations to provide 4G network for 334 poverty-stricken villages this year.

Upon completion, the villages will be covered by both wired or wireless networks.

As Xinjiang has vast land and a small population, its rural areas, especially poor villages, have poor transportation and communications conditions, and the coverage of broadband networks and 4G networks is relatively backward compared with other provinces and regions in the country.

In 2020, Xinjiang will ensure the stable operation of networks and the quality of broadband networks in poor areas as part of its poverty alleviation efforts.

At the same time, Xinjiang will continue to promote the preferential packages and enhance the level of electronic consumption and information convenience to bring benefits to local farmers and herdsmen, according to the regional communications administration.