1KM of fiber cable for $60 seems crazy cheap when you contrast it with 3D printer filement. More so as I'd of thought the former be more expensive to manufacture.
There aren't that many types of fiber optic cable, the actual cable diameter is extremely small (single mode might have 9µm core), and the product is used in large quantities by price-sensitive, sophisticated consumers doing large-scale capital investments. Ethernet cable is also very cheap.
Fiber is generally laid just once. But the filament is a recurring cost to consumers so it provides more value to businesses ... and therefore more opportunity for a higher demand and higher price.
Does seem very much that the whole 3D filement market just needs one disruptive supplier. Which often happens when you have high-margin consumables markets. Which with the ink printer market saw makes of the printers introduce DRM into the consumables - something I don't see happing with 3D filement though, so could be interesting.
