In highly developed regions like North America, Western Europe and Japan, there is no significant difference in community development and standard of living between large cities and small towns. Rather, it is merely a matter of choosing to live in peaceful quiet or active centers. Life in small developed suburbs does not lack in comparison to life in active metropolises. In fact, small towns are not only more serene, but enjoy a far more natural environment. They are ideally suited towards raising families. Blessed with convenient road access and vast arrays of stores, it is not at all uncommon to find five-star hotels nestled in small towns. The proximity of many suburban towns to major cities prompts individuals to commute between their workplaces in the city and homes in the suburbs. For example, a large number of those working in New York City commute from small towns in the surrounding 50 miles. These small towns are considered the bedrock of New York's thriving economy. Highly-developed industrial economies permit people in cities or small towns to live and work according to their own needs and abilities. Small towns have the added benefit of an enhanced environment, and have become the number one preference of middle and upper-class families. The incomes, living standards, and knowledge level of people living in small towns and large cities are identical.

The remote locations of western China and other underdeveloped regions meant they were unable to participate in the industrial wave. This has left their economies backwards in terms of technological infrastructure, knowledgeable workers, and speed of innovation. These underdeveloped areas include many cities still toiling in the agricultural civilization, to say nothing of utterly primitive conditions in extremely isolated small towns and villages. It comes as no surprise that people living in these deprived agricultural areas are deeply impoverished with little ability to create wealth. For centuries, they have been trapped in a painful cycle of poverty, ignorance, and a lack of vision. Seeing no hope of relief, they have clung to an outdated mentality and lifestyle. People there are completely unfamiliar with the industrial civilization, let alone the advent of the information civilization. This has resulted in a dangerous gap between the incomes, living standards, and knowledge level of those living in underdeveloped regions and those in developed regions like the eastern coastal section of China.

In modern times, the Internet has the power to reach into every corner of the world. One can discover virtually everything imaginable on the Internet. Simply by possessing network technology, a region can quickly go online. People employing computers and cellular phones are unconstrained by location and can use the network to log onto the Internet. This permits按them to easily and conveniently perform a substantial array of activities online. A fixed time is also not an issue, with people freely able to log on and off. For the first time, traditional industries across the spectrum have begun to engage in network activity. It has prompted many to embark in e-business, leading to an immense boom in the global economy. The service industry as related to daily living, including the dining, clothing, domestic household, and entertainment industries, have grown even bigger since the advent of the Internet. The increasing position of the Internet has hastened the invention of further technological innovations. It has inspired a longer and healthier lifespan for all. In today's Internet era, knowledge is the root of all wealth. Regions that do not make use of computers will suffer a widening gap with developed areas. Conversely, the spread of advanced information technology, affordable computers, and the endless possibilities of the Internet have dramatically increased the ability of underdeveloped areas to develop knowledge-based economies. Those who do not make good use of computers and the Internet are doomed to remain“back ward”.

Knowledge-based economies－these modern-day economies depend upon technology, knowledgeable workers, and the speed of technological innovation. This is in direct contrast to the traditional agricultural economy, forever tied to the whims of weather and land, and dependent on physical labor and natural resources. Hence, knowledge-based economies generate greater wealth more quickly than traditional agricultural economies. Digital technology today has a key role in promoting the development of knowledge-based economies. Furthermore, digital technology continues to advance at lightening speeds according to Moore's law: every eighteen months, the rate of improvement more than doubles.