> However, while I was considering the mistake I made, it also seems that burying the fiber isn't a good use of capital for almost the same reason. I would bet

> However, while I was considering the mistake I made, it also seems that burying the fiber isn't a good use of capital for almost the same reason. I would bet that these rural areas have power and phone (maybe even cable, too) provisioned via poles and thus stringing the fiber along the poles would be the approach I would take, Well, as they say, it depends. Purely on it's own aerial fiber is often cheaper than buried fiber to install. However the aerial plant is more exposed (both in good and bad), so lifetime costs depend on the location. The biggest issue is however access to poles and specifically at what cost. Pole fees and make ready work can easily push costs above direct burial costs, if there are no land usage fees and you can bury the fiber by plowing. > barring some fantastic reason why that wouldn't work [copper handles high winds better? icing? who knows]. No need to go all fancy. Just think of shotguns, squirrels and termites.