Hundreds of thousands of rural homes and businesses are set to benefit from major internet speed upgrades.
Up to £800 million in government investment will be made available to modernise broadband infrastructure in rural areas of England, Scotland and Wales.
Lightning-fast gigabit-capable broadband will be provided to around 312,000 homes and businesses.
The deal with Openreach is part of Project Gigabit, which targets places too expensive for providers to reach in their commercial build and which would otherwise be left behind with poor digital infrastructure.
Secretary of state for science, innovation and technology Peter Kyle said: "Over the past decade, the UK’s broadband rollout has clearly not happened fast enough and has overlooked too many areas, especially in Scotland and Wales. Robust digital infrastructure is essential for growth, productivity and competitiveness and this shortfall not only poses risks to our economic stability, but also entrenches existing inequalities across the country.
"We are fixing this by delivering for hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses up and down the country, focusing on the areas that were not prioritised by the previous government, such as Wales.
"Today marks a significant milestone in delivering on our promise to redouble our efforts to achieve full gigabit coverage by 2030 and lay the foundations for a more inclusive, dynamic and prosperous future for all citizens."
Contract talks are ongoing with Openreach to benefit 215,800 more premises across England, Scotland and Wales, with more announcements expected in the coming months.
It is hoped that Project Gigabit will support the government’s plans to kickstart economic growth, creating and supporting thousands of high-paid, high-skilled jobs, empowering industries of all kinds to innovate and increasing productivity by taking up digital technology.
Minister for digital infrastructure Chris Bryant said: "Far too many rural citizens and businesses are still stuck with outdated internet infrastructure, not being able to fulfil day-to-day tasks as easily as people living in our towns and cities.
"We have been clear we want to achieve sustained economic growth in every corner of Britain, and this starts by ensuring our communities have the infrastructure they need to thrive.
"This monumental deal with Openreach will make a real difference to communities – such as staying in touch with loved ones or being able to do business no matter where you are."
