> And yet today in the United States, it’s basically a given that you will have a fast and reliable 4G connection available throughout the entire country, as long as you’re not in literal wilderness.

Don’t have a dog in this, but just wanted to say this is not at all true. There are so many places nowhere near wilderness where you would struggle to find a useable 4g connection.

(I’ve lived near some places like this in the northeast - I have to guess that the avalys has not traveled around that much in the US)