This paper uses the calculated 2005—2016 provincial rural FGT index to explore the impact of the Internet penetration on rural poverty in China. Empirical analysis shows that the popularity of the Internet has successfully reduced the headcount poverty ratio, poverty gap and squared poverty gap. However, when it comes to different regions, the Internet has only reduced the headcount poverty ratio in the east and central regions, but it cannot reduce the squared poverty gap in the two regions. This means that the Internet has not effectively alleviated the income inequality among the poor in these regions. In western China, on the contrary, squared poverty gap has been reduced, but the headcount poverty ratio and poverty gap have not been reduced. This means that the Internet popularity in western rural areas has effectively alleviated the income inequality among the poor, but not effectively reduced the scale of poverty population.