Last mile fixed lines are outrageously expensive compared to wireless infrastructure, with the result being that many countries with limited land lines have wireless infrastructure other, more industrialized countries can only dream about.
To put it this way: I had more reliable coverage and lots more bandwidth available just outside Mogadishu than I've ever had in San Francisco.
You'll find most U.S. urban areas are just as connected as San Francisco. SF NIMBY mindset prevents infrastructure improvements required to improve connectivity.
Paris isn’t particularly high density, and practically everything is historical, but you don’t see big ugly base stations everywhere to provide excellent coverage.
And their telecom (wired and wireless) rates are dirt cheap.
To put it this way: I had more reliable coverage and lots more bandwidth available just outside Mogadishu than I've ever had in San Francisco.
I am not joking.