Students in remote and underdeveloped areas are the largest beneficiaries of education through the Internet. Students who have failed in university entrance examinations and working people can also get a chance of continuous education and training at virtual universities. The Ministry of Education has approved 68 ordinary schools of higher learning and the Central Radio and TV University to run experimental modern remote education. By the end of 2003, these schools had established 2,027 off-campus learning centers (stations) around the country, offering 140 majors of ten major disciplines, with a total enrollment of 1.373 million. Gradual spread of broadband technology has also promoted the development of education through the Internet. The China Education and Research Network ("CERNET"), the construction of which began in 1994, now has become the second largest Internet network in China, with a high-speed transmission network of 20,000 km, 28 international and regional channels, covering all major cities around the country. It has been connected with the China Education Broadband Satellite Net ("CEBSat"), which began operating in 2000, for a high-speed connection to provide modern remote education.
