Why It Costs So Much More to Bring Fiber Internet to Rural Communities

At Volcano Communications Group, we’re proud to serve the rural communities of Amador and Calaveras counties—and we often get asked, “Why can’t we get fiber internet as easily as folks in the city?”

It’s a great question, and the answer comes down to one thing: cost per home passed.

In urban areas, homes are close together, and existing infrastructure is dense. That makes it relatively affordable to deploy fiber—on average, about $1,000 per home. But here in our rural service areas, it’s a whole different story. Homes are spread out, roads can be rough, and getting fiber to every corner takes a lot more time, materials, and effort.

That’s why the cost per home passed can climb as high as $9,000 in rural builds.

And after construction…

And the challenges don’t end once fiber is in the ground. Ongoing maintenance is also much more expensive in rural areas. When a line gets damaged by weather, trees, wildlife, or roadwork, it can take hours just to reach the location—and repairs often require more time, more equipment, and more staff. In cities, a technician might handle several service calls in a day. Out here, they might only reach one or two because of the travel involved.

In conclusion

All of this adds up to a higher overall cost of service in rural regions—not just for building the network, but for keeping it running reliably.

Despite these challenges, we remain committed to expanding and maintaining a high-quality network for our customers. With the help of state and federal broadband programs, and through careful planning, Volcano Communications Group is steadily building a stronger, faster fiber network across our communities.

We believe rural residents deserve the same internet experience as anyone else—and we’re working every day to make that a reality.