I don't see why you would be limited to several bits per second with lasers. You can transmit the same amount of bits via directional radio over intestellar distances that you can with non-directional radio and sattelites on stellar distances: you just need more sensitive detectors and powerful emmitters. If you ran an interstellar internet hub, you could probably pay for the 1 GW or so of transmission/recieving power that you would need.
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