Internet access also allowed Sonir to monitor his flocks remotely.

Outside his blue-roofed makeshift house is a 5-meter-tall pole with a high-resolution surveillance camera fixed at the top.

Sonir can remote-control the camera's directions by tabbing on his smart phone, and zoom in to track the whereabouts of the 150 sheep and 30 horses roaming his 200 hectares of grassland.

"Once I was away for an errand, I watched one cow deliver baby cows on my handset," said Sonir, 36.

"It was smooth, but even if the cow had a difficult labor, I could have contacted my neighbors for help to prevent financial loss," he added.

According to local government, the program, when completed, will bring wireless internet to 75 percent of Xin Barga Left Banner, and ensure that more than 95 percent of herders enjoy internet access.