The only thing saving rural areas are cooperatives. Our cooperative committed to running true gigabit fiber to all members within two years of announcing it as

The only thing saving rural areas are cooperatives. Our cooperative committed to running true gigabit fiber to all members within two years of announcing it as an option (and lifetime price locks!!!). Then they committed to running it to all non-members living in the service area who sign up within 5 more years. If it weren't for cooperatives, we'd be left in the dirt for decades. Our local township signed an agreement with AT&T back in the day for AT&T to offer high speed internet. So, their high speed is dial-up that they have never upgraded, but the agreement grants them a monopoly. I blame the local township government for not knowing what the hell they were doing, and I blame AT&T for sitting on a monopoly and never doing anything with it. Either way, Fiber now!!