The internet industry in Zhejiang province saw strong growth momentum last year, according to a report on internet development in the province in 2019 recently issued in Hangzhou, capital of the province.

The report was compiled by the provincial cyberspace administration, provincial department of the economy and information technology, and provincial communications administration.

It shows the province's overall development in terms of internet infrastructure, technology, security, digital governance, and international cooperation.

According to the report, the number of the province's internet users grew steadily last year to 47.3 million people, 1.87 million more than the previous year and accounting for around 80.9 percent of the population. Around 47.06 million internet users used the internet on their mobile phones, accounting for 99.5 percent of all internet users.

Internet infrastructure in the province improved rapidly in the province, as it built 15,770 5G base stations last year, more than any other province in China.

The added value of the province's core digital industries totaled 622.89 billion yuan ($87.85 billion) last year, accounting for 10 percent of regional GDP. E-commerce growth in the province continued to lead the country with annual online sales reaching a value of 197.73 billion yuan, up 18.4 percent year-on-year.

This growth can be attributed to the government's strong support for internet development, especially in building digital innovation centers such as the Zhejiang Lab and Westlake University, said an official from the provincial cyberspace administration.

Digital technologies have also helped the province control the spread of the novel coronavirus this year, for example, by allowing for the introduction of a "health code".

Digital governance also saw major progress. "Zheliban", an online administrative service platform, had more than 30 million users by the end of last year, and almost all of the province's administrative procedures can now be handled online.

In addition, the province made use of big data, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence to develop intelligent transportation, healthcare, education, and tourism. It also launched an internet hospital last year, which served 9.83 million patients.

However, challenges related to data protection remain due to large-scale and frequent data traffic.

To overcome the challenge, local authorities have improved related mechanisms, resolved many major network security risks, and cracked down on many network-related crimes.