In addressing the burgeoning demand for broadband connectivity in rural America, a robust and innovative IP Optical Network Architecture is essential. The architecture must incorporate a best-in-class multi-layer design optimized for middle-mile functionality, integrating both voice and security dimensions. A pivotal requirement is to decouple the last mile from the middle mile, ensuring that the last-mile solutions can remain agnostic to various technologies while still benefiting from a unified middle-mile infrastructure. Furthermore, the network must be equipped with 400G-ready service-aware routing capabilities at edge and aggregation layers, facilitating efficient data flow management at local nodes.