I read a story about this a long time ago. I can't remember any details except that the protagonist was a sysadmin somewhere out west and there was one lady who was essentially the big dick warlord of the internet on the Eastern Seaboard, holding what was left of the network together on pure charisma and the threat of immense violence to anyone who dared mess with the fiber lines. They were buddies and talking to her over, like, BBS or whatever they were able to keep running was important for the protagonist to keep believing that re-building was possible.