Why this obsession with what is or is not a monopoly?IMO there...

Why this obsession with what is or is not a monopoly?

IMO there is nothing wrong with monopoly as long as it is not abusing its privileged position.

There are some services that just do not make sense in competitive environment.

I do not want 5 sewer companies digging up my street and putting their pipes side by side so they could compete for my effluent. One will do as long as it is affordable.

When the various electricity reseller knock on my door, they are still going to use the same wires that my supplier uses now, just my check will go to different address.

There is no need for 5 railway lines running side by side going to Kogarah, one will do. If there are some private operators who want to use the state rail tracks in competition with state rail, let them make en offer to State Rail and we may have two rail competitors competing on the monopoly track that belongs to the state.

It is just silly to try and duplicate the super expensive infrastructure for some ideal that "Competition is always best".
Well it is not.

Optus realized it very quickly and instead of digging up our streets, they rented duct space from Telstra.

By now there is almost a consensus that not keeping the telecommunication infrastructure in government hands (monopoly) was a biggest blunder Howard government made when privatizing and opening to competition telecommunication in Australia.

That is why this government had to buy it all back when it decided to build fibre network based on principles that served Australia well until this obsession with competition at any cost.