California has formed a Middle-Mile Advisory Committee to study (and hopefully implement) a state-wide, open, “middle-mile” network to connect ISPs providing “last-mile” services to the Internet. The goal is to bring together state-controlled agencies like the Department of Technology and CalTrans who control resources like highway rights-of-way and streamline the permitting and construction process. No word yet on how they will convince the ISPs to drag fiber miles through the hills to get to a single household. Read about it here:
https://cdt.ca.gov/middle-mile-advisory-committee/