France will shortly call on telecoms operators to offer broadband services across all its territory for a maximum of €35 (£29.3) a month, a government minister said on Thursday.

This would make France the first country in the European Union to effectively mandate the supply of broadband services.

It signals a retreat by France from its informal campaign to include broadband in EU rules for operators that are designated universal service providers.

To read this Reuters report in full, see uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE4AQ6M820081127.