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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Submarine fiber-optic cables are still needed because they carry the bulk of data between continents, while satellites make internet access possible in places and on platforms that cables do not directly reach. They are complementary parts of the network: cables move enormous volumes between networks, and satellites extend connectivity across remote land, oceans, and skies.
What does “internet traffic” mean in this comparison?
The phrase can refer to different things: data crossing international borders, all traffic carried across the internet, or the connection that brings service to one home. Those are not interchangeable measures. A household might use satellite for its local internet connection while much of the data it requests travels over fiber-optic networks, including undersea cables, for the long-distance portion of its journey.
The estimates commonly cited for cables describe different scopes. NOAA says more than 95 percent of international data and voice transfers route through seafloor fiber-optic cables; its page associates that estimate with a 2009 UNEP-WCMC report. Separately, ITU’s backgrounder, last updated in April 2026, says submarine cables carry approximately 99% of the world’s internet traffic. These are attributed estimates, not a single precise figure measured on the same basis. NOAA ITU
Why cables carry the bulk of intercontinental data
They form high-capacity links between networks
Undersea cables connect national and regional networks across oceans. They provide the high-volume routes used to exchange data among internet providers, cloud services, businesses, and other networks. A cable landing point is a fixed endpoint on land, but the cable system links that point into the broader terrestrial network.
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A USITC report offers a historical illustration of the difference in network roles: it reported design capacity above 250 terabits per second for Google’s Dunant cable, compared with satellite-capacity figures of 10.3 Tbps for Starlink and 1.4 Tbps for OneWeb. Those satellite figures reflect the report’s 2021-era evidence base, not current 2026 service capacities. They illustrate why a cable can serve as a bulk intercontinental route; they should not be read as a current, like-for-like product comparison. USITC report
They are part of the internet’s backbone, not a competing household plan
A satellite connection can be the access link for a home, ship, or aircraft. That does not mean the satellite carries every segment of every internet exchange end to end. Data may move between terrestrial networks and cable routes before reaching the provider or service a user is trying to access. The cable and the satellite can therefore play different roles in the same chain of connectivity.
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Where satellite internet fills gaps cables cannot
Remote and difficult-to-reach locations
Extending terrestrial fiber to every remote community can be difficult or uneconomic. Satellites can deliver connectivity over land beyond terrestrial networks and across areas where constructing a fixed route is impractical. They are also used to connect ships and aircraft, which move across regions where a fixed cable cannot follow them.
Different orbits suit different coverage needs
There is no single satellite performance profile. Geostationary (GSO) satellites can cover a wide area from orbit, while non-geostationary (non-GSO) systems have a different architecture, with lower-latency potential and smaller coverage per satellite. Actual service depends on the system and application; it is inaccurate to assume that every satellite link has the same latency or geographic reach. An ITU-hosted article on satellite connectivity describes these distinctions and the use of satellite service on land, at sea, and in the air. Its author, Zachary Rosenbaum, is an SES executive, so the article’s discussion is an industry perspective. ITU-hosted satellite article
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How the technologies compare
| Question | Submarine cables | Satellite networks |
|---|---|---|
| Primary role | High-volume links connecting networks across oceans. | Connectivity where terrestrial networks do not reach, including remote land and moving platforms. |
| Geographic reach | Fixed routes between cable landing points, connected to terrestrial networks. | Coverage across land, sea, and air; reach and coverage vary by system and orbit. |
| Latency | Depends on route and network conditions; the sources do not establish one universal cable latency. | Varies by system. GSO and non-GSO architectures differ, and non-GSO systems have lower-latency potential. |
| Resilience role | Routes can be disrupted by physical damage, so route diversity and repair matter. | Can provide alternate reach, but the cited sources do not establish satellites as a full-capacity replacement for cable systems. |
Why the network still needs both
Cables and satellites address different constraints. Cables are suited to carrying large amounts of data between fixed points; satellites can extend access to places and vehicles that are beyond practical terrestrial reach. Using satellites for remote access does not eliminate the need for the high-capacity routes that connect networks, and using cables as a backbone does not make them a practical way to reach every ship, aircraft, or isolated community.
The balance is also a resilience question. Cables can be damaged by fishing activity, anchors, earthquakes, underwater landslides, and tsunamis. ITU’s April 2026 backgrounder cites more than 500 active and planned telecommunication submarine cable systems as of 2024, nearly 200,000 km of new submarine cables installed in 2024, and more than 170 cable repairs reported worldwide in 2025—nearly four per week on average. The figures are attributed to the industry sources identified by ITU, rather than being a direct count by the backgrounder itself. ITU notes that some underserved regions depend on few systems, making repair delays and route concentration especially consequential. ITU backgrounder
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In a July 2026 release, ITU described a resilience roadmap that emphasizes deployment and repair, monitoring and mitigation, and connectivity and geographic diversity. Its Secretary-General, Doreen Bogdan-Martin, said: “The world relies on connectivity, and thanks to the International Advisory Body on Submarine Cable Resilience, we now have a practical roadmap to keep undersea networks reliable.” ITU release, 10 July 2026
Which technology will win over time?
Neither has to win. The more useful question is which part of the connectivity problem each technology solves. Cable systems remain essential for high-volume intercontinental network links; satellite systems provide reach where terrestrial infrastructure is unavailable or a connection must serve a moving platform. Future networks can use both, with the specific mix depending on geography, capacity needs, latency requirements, and resilience planning.
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