The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission announced that it plans to continue regulating the wholesale ADSL service for five more years in a draft decision released today.

As the NBN continues to rollout across the country, the ACCC believes continuing to regulate the wholesale ADSL service will promote competition between providers and benefit customers who can currently only access broadband services.

“Continuing regulation will ensure network providers continue to have access to Telstra’s copper network at reasonable prices,” said ACCC commissioner Cristina Cifuentes.

“This will encourage them to continue competing in the retail market to develop and offer different ADSL broadband products to meet the needs of customers as they prepare to shift to the NBN.”

The ACCC first declared the wholesale ADSL service in February 2012. When a service is declared, a network owner is required to provide service access upon request. If a commercial agreement can’t be reached, the ACCC will determine regulated price and non-price terms.

“Declaration ensures all service providers have access to the infrastructure they need to supply competitive communications services to customers,” the ACCC said in a statement.

Stakeholders and interested parties can make submissions on the ACCC’s draft decision until November 14. The current declaration is set to expire on February 13, 2017.