EU regulators say no state aid in UK broadband scheme

(Repeats with no changes to text)

BRUSSELS, May 26 - A British scheme to roll out high-speed broadband coverage across the country, allowing citizens to get faster access to the Internet, does not contain illegal state aid, EU competition regulators said on Thursday.

UK authorities want to kick off the five-year scheme this year, aiming to cover as many homes and businesses as possible, especially in rural areas.

The European Commission said the programme complies with the bloc's state aid rules as it channels public funds to under-served areas, provides fair chances to all bidders and fair access to the infrastructure through open tenders. (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; editing by Philip Blenkinsop)