Some of Britain’s most isolated communities would be first in line for subsidised broadband upgrades under proposals due to be unveiled by the Government on Monday.

It is understood a review of internet infrastructure will find that BT and other commercial investors are unlikely to fund faster and more reliable fibre-optic lines for swathes of rural Britain and that taxpayer funding will be required.

The Government is expected to suggest so-called “outside in” subsidies. The most remote and therefore least attractive to commercial investors would be at the head of the queue.

It represents a shift from a previous broadband upgrade scheme in which subsidies were aimed at a third of the country from the outset. It was later discovered that many of the homes covered were in fact commercially viable due to stronger-than-expected demand for faster internet access.

Meanwhile, some of the most remote communities never benefited.