The basic list of what fiber-optic cable was intended to have the country clamoring to replace its cable backbone. Fiber networks are coming down in cost and the cost of copper wire backbones are going up.
Fiber is now the cheaper, faster, durable, and more efficient design. Any company that is providing services or just building a network for itself to use is starting to see a cost benefit for going fiber as well.
The older generation of coaxial cable wasn’t meant for two-way communication, but to deliver a one-way signal to the customer for television. Eventually tech was developed and protocols were designed to make a network possible. The Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) was created for a subpar cable to deliver faster technology connection on a poorly designed cable. All these cables can still be used to avoid the cost of building a new network but at the cost of performance.
The demand for no interruption is up and rising more each day. The use of networks has become so common that people are able to work remotely and do daily tasks without leaving the house. International banking and micro transactions are very reliant on speed and stability of connection, and the world of services will follow the demand/money. The wireless world has 5G but without a backbone that has connection stable enough and fast enough the 5G is pointless.
The future of big picture networks is fiber whether we are ready for it or not.