An Ars Technica article details a proposal by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to bring fiber to 123,000 public institutions nationwide at a cost of $4.9bn-$10bn.  The FCC is taking comments.

Excerpt:

A rural hospital, for instance, could stick a white spaces broadband antenna on its roof, link the antenna to its fiber connection, and suddenly bring at least basic wireless connectivity to the surrounding area at minimal cost.

The Foundation admits that the cost estimate is not a complete one; it doesn’t include costs for network management and upkeep, and additional backhaul costs might be needed in some areas to feed these fiber links.