Around ￡5billion is being spent to put an end to frustratingly poor levels of connectivity.

       It will mean around two million homes and businesses will be able to download a high-definition film in less than 30 seconds.

       Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said the investment will lift people out of the "digital slow lane".

       He said: "Project Gigabit is our national mission to level up rural areas by giving them the fastest internet speeds on the market.

       "Millions more rural homes and businesses will now be lifted out of the digital slow lane thanks to our mammoth ￡5billion investment and one of the quickest rollouts in Europe.

       "This broadband revolution will create jobs, power up businesses and allow everyone to access vital services at lightning-fast speed, helping us build back better from the pandemic."

       Rural areas in 26 English counties will be given the fastest connections in the upgrade.

       Nearly half a million properties in Shropshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Worcestershire, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight will be among the first to benefit.

       Derbyshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Lancashire, Surrey, Leicestershire, Warwickshire, Notts, Hertfordshire, Staffordshire, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire will follow.

       The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said the fund is a "cornerstone of the Prime Minister's plan to build back better" and will mean that the Government invests in areas "left behind by the industry's rollout plans".

       Ministers believe improving it in all parts of the country will accelerate recovery and fire up sectors like tech as well as help small firms.

       Up to 1,850,000 properties will get access to one gigabit or 1,000 megabits per second, taking the total in the project to 2.2 million.

       Some 60 percent of all households are to have access to gigabit speeds by next year – the fastest rollout in Europe, say ministers.