Last month, an internet service provider trenched a cable into the house at our son’s farm, and they were connected to high-speed internet. Previously, they had used a cell phone-based connection. The cellular system was slower than a fiber-optic connection. Their connection worked pretty well for their family. They were able to use video conferencing to connect with family. The children could connect to schooling and research resources with the family computer. Email exchanges worked well on their devices. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, they could sometimes work from home. Our daughter-in-law is a private practice therapist, and she was able to conduct sessions from a private office at the farm over a secure network. The cellular connection was not quite as reliable for therapy as a direct connection, and most of the time, she continued to work from an office in town for remote therapy sessions.

However, as our son commented, the family has joined the early 1990s in connectivity technology. There is nothing technologically new about a fiber-optic cable that serves high-speed internet to the neighborhood and a cable connection to their home. Our home is in a subdivision, and we have multiple choices for high-speed internet connections. Such choices and high-speed internet are nothing new to us, however. We had multiple options and very high speeds in our South Dakota home before moving to the Pacific Northwest.

Our son’s home has only one choice regarding high-speed internet. Unlike many other neighborhoods, their rural location does not have enough customers to attract a second company. We have found that the ability to switch companies is essential to keeping costs in check. Each time we have high-speed internet, the company offers low prices initially, and prices go up over time. I keep track of the “new customer” prices of the competition and periodically call customer support at the company that provides our service. They will usually match the competition’s prices and lower our monthly bill. One time in South Dakota, I switched companies to reduce my costs.

It is hard to predict how we will connect to the Internet and how much speed we will need in the future. Technology changes, and our use of technology shifts as well. I often use my personal use of printed dictionaries and bible versions as an example. I always used to have a printed dictionary handy for my work. I kept a small collection of different bible versions to compare as I prepared. Once done by printed books, both jobs are now exclusively done with my devices these days. I use my phone for a dictionary, and I can quickly set up comparisons of selected bible versions on my computer. I still love printed books, and our home almost always has multiple library books and shelves of books we own. I can read books on a tablet computer and know how to access most books in electronic format through our public library, but I still prefer print.

All the fiber optic cable laid may one day be as useless as the miles of copper phone lines that once connected our homes. High-speed internet is available through satellite connections everywhere on the globe. Satellite connections are portable and can be used in recreational vehicles, boats, and aircraft. However, until recently, only one company monopolized satellite-based internet. Starlink, a system of satellites owned and controlled by SpaceX, an Elon Musk company, has been the only provider.

However, Amazon recently successfully launched 27 satellites in its Project Kuiper system. The satellites are the first of over three thousand that Amazon plans to send into low-Earth orbit to create a global network. Amazon has a long way to go before it catches up with Starlink, but if it keeps up with production goals, customers will soon begin to stop counting satellites and begin switching companies. Increased competition should result in downward pressure on prices.

All of this comes as Elon Musk’s other companies have shown poor performance in 2025. Tesla's stock was down more than 30% in the first quarter. Sales are dwindling, primarily due to Musk and his political affiliations. It remains to be seen if Tesla can recover from its poor performance. The company has only succeeded in introducing one new model under Musk’s leadership, and that one, the Cybertruck, has been plagued with problems from body panels falling off to trailer hitches breaking in everyday use. While sales continue in the US, the trucks are not selling well in other countries. Musk’s participation in the company has always been financial. He purchased the right to take credit for the innovations of the company founders. Tesla's genuine innovations didn’t come from Musk.

There is no denying that SpaceX is currently leading in aerospace development, with hugely lucrative government contracts secured by Musk’s political connections. However, Musk’s failure to significantly decrease long-term government spending is becoming apparent. Many of the short-term savings are disappearing as the increased costs of replacing laid-off workers and the inability of government agencies to produce work in the face of irrational budget cuts are revealed. No-bid contracts, such as those enjoyed by SpaceX, will not deliver efficiency in government.

Now, SpaceX is beginning to feel pressured by Amazon's entry into the satellite internet business. Competition is so deeply ingrained in American capitalism that despite temporary setbacks and attempts at creating monopolies and destroying competition have, in the past, met with long-term failure. Recent court losses by Google exemplify the market’s limited appetite for monopolies.

I no longer need to be on the cutting edge of technology, and I have no plans to switch to a satellite connection anytime soon. However, I know I am not immune to the sweep of technology. Fortunately, competition is entering the field. Furthermore, an ever-increasing number of low-Earth orbit satellites will not solve connection issues. The region where communications satellites operate is already crowded. Discovering alternatives to simply launching more satellites will be important as technology progresses. I’m content to wait and watch, hoping that competition will deliver better service at a more reasonable price.