The Government says it has committed a record £714 million to boosting rural broadband coverage in 2024.
The commitment, which includes nearly 380,000 homes and businesses, brings the total investment in next generation connectivity to £1.3 billion.
A £165 million tranche released today will form part of the flagship £5 billion Project Gigabit programme.
Nearly 82% of UK properties can now access lightning-fast broadband, up from just 7% this time five years ago.
Minister for Data and Digital Julia Lopez said: “Connectivity has never been more important for people and businesses. It is increasingly the enabler for so many services that we rely on every day, from using maps to doing business.”
As part of this year’s investment, the Government has today also announced £165 million in contracts to build full fibre networks in areas spanning South Yorkshire, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Herefordshire, the Forest of Dean, the Peak District, Dorset and Somerset.
Almost 90,000 premises are set to benefit from the contracts, with full fibre connections capable of delivering speeds of up to 1,000 mbps.
