This might be a case of "nobody needs more than 640k of memory", but well deployed fiber has a very very long upgrade path. As I understand it, switching out o

This might be a case of "nobody needs more than 640k of memory", but well deployed fiber has a very very long upgrade path. As I understand it, switching out optics and equipment on each end for faster versions is relatively simple (vs digging it up and replacing the cable). If it's active fiber, then you should be able to put 100Gb+ optics and equipment and be good to go. If it's PON fiber then it might be a little different, but not drastically. As for the government vs corporate thing... Physical infrastructure is hard to get good competitive environments in. They're pretty rare, and become increasingly so as companies merge or get acquired. It's very difficult to get new competitors into a market because of how capital and red-tape intense the process is. Few people are happy with roads and lawns being dug up, existing competitors have a motive to swing legislation to their advantage. Running physical infrastructure as an open platform that anyone can access is IMO a better approach.