Why Satellite Internet in today's fiber world?

Hi everyone,

I need some views on the topic of satellite internet v/s fiber.

In today's world where there's so much fiber connected or 3G internet provision, why would one use satellite internet or VSAT? Isn't it like moving backwards in time?
Even though we see the world is completely connected by undersea fiber-optic cables and fiber being one-third the price of satellite internet?

Yet we see satellites being taken up to space to provide satellite internet.

Would appreciate if you could share your views on this.

It must be cheaper launching these eco friendly rockets carrying these satellites, than laying fibre and erecting masts. I doubt they have single use either (paranoid thoughts). They are better than nothing which many would have if they were not being put into orbit and there was whole in the market these satellites are filling it.

Can you get 3G in the most rural locations?
Submarine fibre does nothing to help in getting fibre from a phone exchange to a property 10 miles away.

They think they can make money, so they launch them at the end of the day.

Where I stay (Kenya), we get 3G in most rural areas. I can even go to a remote place just carrying my 3G enabled smart phone and I'm connected.

Yes, from the way I too see things, the fiber roll out is more in the interest of providers. Initial mega costs and long term savings meaning huge profits.

My question however was more from a user's perspective: Lower latencies, faster speeds, lower monthly costs, (ISP's and internet providers connecting to the internet backbone via sub-marine fiber and providing local users with Wimax. it really sounds good for the end-user.

The BIG difference (advantage) that satellite has is that once it is up there, customers can come from anywhere that the footprint covers - customers could easily be spaced 10-20km apart, the satellite cares not.

With other deployments, they are by necessity geographically focussed. Also, even with the best will in the world, they will leave coverage holes in their areas of operation. A satellite is an excellent means of reaching all of these holes in coverage with a single piece of (space based) hardware.

Satellite does not cover flats and properties that have the view of the sky blocked by a hill, tree, cliff or another building. Satellite has black holes too!