Telstra Corporation has outlined its plans to the competition regulator to complete a structural separation of its business in order to take part in the rollout of the national broadband network (NBN).

The structural separation is to be completed by 2018 and involves the telco giant splitting into two entities, a retail arm and a wholesale arm.

Chief executive David Thodey said the submission was another important step in finalising the company’s participation in the rollout of the NBN.

“We believe the interim equivalence and transparency commitments, which are binding and court enforceable, offer substantial and practical improvements in areas of known industry and regulator concern,” Mr Thodey said in a statement on Monday.

“These commitments will provide faster resolution of perceived issues and will reduce unnecessary administrative costs for all parties.

He said the structural separation undertaking (SSU) would deliver robust, effective and appropriate equivalence and transparency in a way that avoided the complexity, cost and industry disruption that would be caused by functional separation.

Telstra submitted its SSU on Monday to the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission (ACCC) for approval.

The ACCC would be able to enforce the provisions of the structural separation undertaking through the Federal Court, Telstra said.

The 300-page document outlined Telstra’s commitment not to provide services to premises within the NBN footprint over its own copper or fibre network, with the exception of pay-television products.

This commitment will be fulfilled by the telco’s decommissioning of its copper and fibre broadband network as the NBN is rolled out.

Telstra also submitted a series of commitments that would apply for services that the telco supplied over its copper network to wholesale service providers.

These commitments related to the price for fixed-line access, activation and fault rectification for wholesale customers.

It also included the creation of an independent telecommunications adjudicator to resolve complaints.

Telstra detailed how the SSU would be enforced, as well as a draft migration plan that sets out how Telstra would disconnect customers from its own copper network.

Apart from the green light from the ACCC, Telstra’s participation in the NBN rollout also requires shareholder approval from a vote due in October.

Telstra closed up three cents at $3.02 on Monday.