Internet service provider iiNet has accused NBN Co of overstepping its bounds as a provider of wholesale fibre broadband services and dictating what services consumer can have.

Appearing before a senate committee hearing into the national broadband network in Perth on Wednesday, iiNet Chief Regulatory Officer Steve Dalby and acting chief executive David Buckingham said NBN Co had insisted on controlling the design of retail products at the expense of innovation.

Steve Dalby: Chief regulatory officer at iiNet. Credit:Bohdan Warchomij

For example, iiNet cannot provide users with a symmetric fibre broadband connection (equal upload and download speeds) because NBN Co only sells high-download/low-upload speed packages, Dalby said.

He likened NBN Co to an orange farmer who only allowed his oranges to be used for juice.