JonC: Looks to me that a few ISPs were caught with their trousers down here. As far as I'm concerned, as long as ISPs have fair access to the final run of copper (between house and these new-fangled cabinets), then they can go ahead and install their own cabinets and all is fair (is that what they mean by sub-local-loop unbundling???). Let the ISPs invest in their own network and compete with Telecom if they wish - that would be great for broadband in NZ.
That is sub-loop unbundling, and as I learned since this thread started it wasn't included in the Commerce Commission's ULL determination. Whose fault that is - the Commissions or the ISPs - I don't know, because it was included in the Minister's unbundling/separation announcement last year.
JonC:
However, I think the reality of the situation is that NZ is a small company and I really don't think anyone's going to want to make such a huge investment when there's a big gorilla sitting in the corner that will offer serious competition. It comes down to the fact that it's only profitable to make such a huge investment if you're the only player in town and can monolopolise it.
...and you are publicly owned, as Telecom was when most of the investment was made

(While Telecom is spending a lot of fibre to the cabinet, it's the last bit between the cabinet and the home that's the really expensive bit.)