Assuming rural areas have less fiber availability isn't always a good assumption.
In NW Washington state at least, the rural counties (Whatcom, Island, Skagit, etc) have had a robust market in dark fiber for over two decades.
The normal telcos weren't responsive to need, so private carriers picked up the slack. When I was last involved in this market, you could get a P2P strand, including reasonable buildout, for less than a cost of a T1 line with a two-year commit.
The tiny four-branch credit union I worked for had dedicated fiber loops between all our locations, no big deal. It was great.
In NW Washington state at least, the rural counties (Whatcom, Island, Skagit, etc) have had a robust market in dark fiber for over two decades.
The normal telcos weren't responsive to need, so private carriers picked up the slack. When I was last involved in this market, you could get a P2P strand, including reasonable buildout, for less than a cost of a T1 line with a two-year commit.
The tiny four-branch credit union I worked for had dedicated fiber loops between all our locations, no big deal. It was great.