On 4 July 2016, the ACCC issued a discussion paper for the wholesale ADSL service declaration inquiry seeking industry views on whether the wholesale ADSL service should continue to be declared.

A number of changes have occurred since the wholesale ADSL service was first declared in 2012, including the progressive rollout of the National Broadband Network (NBN) and increasing use of fixed-line broadband services to download data.

The discussion paper seeks submissions on a range of issues relevant to the inquiry including:

• the ACCC’s proposed assessment framework
• whether continued declaration is in the long-term interests of end-users, including whether it is likely to promote competition, achieve any-to-any connectivity and encourage the economically efficient use of, and investment, in infrastructure
• issues to be considered if declaration of the service is continued including the appropriate scope of the declaration, and the length of the regulatory period.

Submissions are due by 29 July 2016.