Eugene, while a "restore" from online may be slow I think most just store data and not all the rest of your software and operating system. For data it is just another layer of backup to protect against losing everything. With a record of your configuration most software companies will help you replace software and this can also be insured.

Part of your remote backup could be a periodic mirror, which could allow a full restore, though that is expensive in terms of money and bandwidth. It sure would be preferrable to nothing!

The primary reason for adding remote backup to a professioanally secure site far from your location is, of course, to reduce the risk of total loss from an area- or region-wide disaster.