Thousands of farms and rural homes are set to receive major internet speed upgrades as part of an £800 million fund unveiled by the new government.
The investment is being made available to modernise broadband infrastructure in rural areas of England, Scotland and Wales.
The deal will provide access to 'lightning-fast' gigabit-capable broadband to around 312,000 rural homes and businesses, the government said.
It is the first time Wales, the region with the lowest percentage of gigabit coverage, will benefit from this programme.
It will mean farmers in harder-to-reach areas will finally gain access to some of the fastest connections on the market.
According to a survey by the NFU, fewer than half of farmers reported broadband speeds which they said were adequate for their business.
But today's (13 August) new landmark deal with telecoms provider Openreach and the government represents one of the biggest milestones in the rollout of Project Gigabit.
This targets places too expensive for providers to reach in their commercial build and which would otherwise be left behind with poor digital infrastructure.
The news follows the new Labour government’s vow to redouble its efforts to achieve full gigabit coverage by 2030.
Secretary of State for Technology, Peter Kyle said over the past decade, the UK’s broadband rollout had 'clearly not happened fast enough' and had overlooked too many areas, especially in Scotland and Wales.
He said: "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."
Contracts worth £288m have already been signed with Openreach under the agreement to connect approximately 96,600 homes and businesses in England and Wales.
Areas to benefit include Lancashire, North Wiltshire, South Gloucestershire, West and Mid-Surrey, Staffordshire, West Berkshire and Hertfordshire, West and North Devon, and North West, Mid and South East Wales.
Talks are now underway with Openreach to agree further contracts to benefit around 215,800 more premises, with more announcements expected in the coming months.
Areas expected to benefit include Central and North Scotland, North and South West Wales, Mid and South Devon, East and South Shropshire, North Herefordshire, North Somerset, Essex, North East England and Worcestershire.
