"Marc 182" wrote in message
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In article , says...
Marc 182 wrote:

Multi-jump communications would create unacceptable delay in a voice
conversation due to the speed of light and the distance to the
satellites. Even a single jump causes a noticeable and annoying delay.
That's why trans-Atlantic/Pacific cables remain popular.

Cables are popular because they're *cheaper* than satellites
(per unit of delivered bandwidth) what with the incredible advances
in fiber optics.

Ok, true enough. But the issue of delay still remains. A single hop
conversation is possible but annoying. A multi-hop conversation would be
impossible to hold in a natural way.

Marc

Not true. It is used in many of the Pacific islands, for one. A single hop,
with minimal extra delays due to compression and processing, is quite
acceptable. Two hops can be a nuisance, but it is actually still quite okay.
It sure beats the heck out of the alternative, which is usually a short-wave
radio-telephone conversation or a telegram!

Ken