> Maybe once we have good wireless technology it would be different.
Or a bunch of satellites in low orbits, which is something Google wants to do. A number of companies have tried this idea, so far without economic success, but as time passes it's becoming more practical, and eventually it will probably become feasible. Once it does, many companies will do it, and you will be able to choose which company you want to get satellite Internet service from. Finally there will be competition.
The problem with low orbit satellites is the backbone connection speed. The way I understand it, the individual connections to each subscriber isn't really a problem. But say you have a satellite serving 10k clients at one time. If you have a service with any scale, that's realistic. To provide a good quality service to those users you need to get at least a 200 gigabit connection to an Internet backbone. Getting that over fiber isn't difficult, but over air, not sure if the technology is there yet.
I am so looking foreword to satellite Internet, mainly because my new home is off the grid, and I have no Internet at all there. The best option I found so far gives me 25 gigs per month for $70. I would gladly pay $140 for 50+ gb but that's not even an option. Unlimited, fast, and ubiquitous Internet would be amazing, but in my research I have yet to see any company that's even close to offering that.
If any one can recommend a satellite Internet company with high or now bandwidth caps, I am all ears. My budget is something under $200/m for unlimited or 200+gb/m.
> The problem with low orbit satellites is the backbone connection speed.
Yes, and system congestion, which you also mention. This is why so many different ideas are being considered -- balloons and solar-powered high-altitude drones to name two. But satellites, in spite of their drawbacks, at least in principle would have longer lives and wold present a lower per/subscriber cost.
Because of the propagation delay you mention, satellites work very poorly with VOIP, in fact existing synchronous-orbit satellite methods won't work with VOIP at all. Future low-orbit satellites might be more acceptable, but propagation delay will always pose a problem for anything but terrestrial fiber.
Or a bunch of satellites in low orbits, which is something Google wants to do. A number of companies have tried this idea, so far without economic success, but as time passes it's becoming more practical, and eventually it will probably become feasible. Once it does, many companies will do it, and you will be able to choose which company you want to get satellite Internet service from. Finally there will be competition.