BEIJING -- The fast-expanding information consumption sector has played a vital role in countering the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic and advancing the stable development of China's economy during the epidemic period, according to an official Saturday.

In the first quarter of 2020, the country's mobile data traffic consumption soared 39.3 percent from the same period of last year, Li Ying, a senior official with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, told a press conference.

In March alone, the average household usage of mobile traffic reached 9.5 GB, the highest level in almost a year, reflecting the rapid growth of information consumption, Li added.

During the epidemic period, consumer demand for online medical and education services, as well as food delivery and new retail services, posted explosive growth.

Services such as audio and video conference meetings, telecommuting and cloud storage have accelerated enterprises' efforts in work consumption, according to the official.