Next generation space-based satellites could entirely replace the ground-based fiber and cell towers as a lower cost and more maintainable infrastructure.

There are some estimates that mass production of small low earth orbit internet satellites could drop to $100,000 each. SpaceX low-cost launch could make building, replacing and upgrading internet satellites at lower-cost than cell towers. Cell towers have land leasing costs.

Instead of networks of 4000 to 12,000 internet satellites there could be 500,000. An entire space network of 500,000 could be swapped out for $60 billion.

They would not need fiber because they would send multi-terabit lasers through space. Space based satellites could replace cell tower on a one for one basis.