No, Viasat does not connect you to the internet using a fiber optic cable line. Viasat service can reach broadband specifications and deliver speeds of up to 100 Mbps in some areas but nowhere near the 900 Mbps speeds that fiber optic cable lines laid in trenches, or on the sea bed, can deliver. Viasat is a satellite-based internet service. Fiber optic internet is ground-based internet using fiber optic cable lines.

A fiber-optic cable resembles an electrical cable line but includes special fibers that carry light. The ability to carry light is the game-changer in terms of speed and low latency. Optic fibers inside the cable are individually coated with protective sheathing, whether plastic, Kevlar or another compound, and nested inside a tube that shields them from the external environment where the cable is being placed. For example, the cable may be strengthened to preserve it during construction work nearby, or to protect it from animals that may chew on it, or even to preserve it in undersea conditions where boat anchors and fishing gear could be hazards. Sea hazards include sharks that can be attracted to electrical power amplifiers or repeaters in the cable lines. Cables can be buried in trenches, can be double-purposed as power lines, can be lashed to telephone posed, inserted under paves streets, or even laid on the sea bed between land-based stations Fiber-optic cable can carry internet signals, telecommunications, or high-speed data connections within a business location.

Fiber optic internet speeds are dream-worthy but they’re still a dream in a lot of locations. The cost and labor availability for laying these cables under the ground, or nesting them to aerial telephone pools, or laying them at sea, is high. Viasat satellite internet service is available in the continental U.S. as well as in Hawaii and in parts of Alaska. As new satellites are launched into orbit, more areas will be covered and latencies will be reduced. Additionally, telecom providers are working on ways to use existing systems to carry faster internet data.