Currently: ground <--> satellite <--> ground <------------> ground With satellite links: ground <--> satellite <--> satellite <--> ground i.e. the sat-to-sa

Currently: ground <--> satellite <--> ground <------------> ground With satellite links: ground <--> satellite <--> satellite <--> ground i.e. the sat-to-sat link should be faster than the ground-to-ground link, on the basis that light transmitted in vacuum goes faster than light transmitted in glass. That's the theory at least.