Satellites usually orbit at around 22,000 miles from the surface of the Earth. At this height they appear at a fixed point, and so coverage is consistent meaning that switching between satellites isn't needed.
This optimal placement for a satellite is referred to as the 'Geostationary orbit' , and it is getting rather crowded. There are currently more than 200 satellites in a Geostationary orbit which don't work-these are called 'dead' satellites- and this figure is likely to reach the one thousand mark in around ten years.
The most obvious solution to this problem is to start building satellites which can re-fueled so that new ones aren't needed (if you disregard technological developments and potential improvements and upgrades). In fact in 2007 the US managed to refuel one of their satellites which was designed for that purpose.
German scientists are on the brink of going one step further however, and are currently developing robots capable of withstanding temperatures as low as -170C (-274F) and high as 200C (392F).
These robots can be used to refuel satellites, or, in typical human-race signature fashion, boot them out past the Geostationary orbit and off into the vastness of space for someone else to deal with.
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