Most of the communication satellites today are placed in a geostationary orbit. In order to stay over the same spot on the Earth, a geostationary satellite has to be directly above the

A geostationary satellite is a specific type of geosynchronous satellite that remains fixed over a single spot on the Earth's surface. To achieve this, the satellite must be placed in a circular orbit at an altitude of approximately 35,786 kilometers directly above the Earth's equator [2]. This orbit has an inclination of zero degrees relative to the equatorial plane [3]. Because the satellite's orbital period matches the Earth's sidereal rotation period (approximately 24 hours) and it moves in the same direction as the Earth's rotation (west to east), it appears stationary to a ground-based observer. While other geosynchronous orbits can have various inclinations, only the geostationary orbit stays permanently 'parked' over the equator, making it ideal for continuous communication and weather monitoring over specific geographic regions.

Sources

1. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geosynchronous_orbit
2. [2] https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/catalog-of-earth-satellite-orbits/
3. [3] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/geostationary-orbit