Optus has confirmed it intends to launch a residential ADSL service in Australia if negotiations with Telstra are successful. The confirmation came as the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission announced it would consider strict regulation of access to Telstra"s copper line network.
In Australia, Telstra owns the copper line network. If the ACCC regulates line sharing it would allow other broadband network operators to offer their products more cheaply, thus greatly opening up the broadband market.
Optus currently offers business-grade DSL via its XYZed network and runs a popular high-speed cable internet service. An ADSL service would vastly expand the number of potential customers, as only about two million households can access the cable network.