In the immense network their seems to be no borders. Before you even know, you are in space using a satellite to retrieve data. Technology improves for your convenience.

And you know, they know what they are doing when placing that satellite for you in orbit. It might get wrong a few times. Mishaps by dedicated space agencies like Nasa get blown up in public press for common gossip. But overall they know and learn, using the best of todays technology to break through borders of communication and knowledge. We are informed about the technology they use for launch and how it will stay in orbit.

This public information flow does not apply to the commercial satellite companies. Who remembers the news that Bill Gates bought up a stock of old USSR rockets to launch satellites in the future?
"Internet anywhere".
Did he use them yet? What launch rocket fuel was in the USSR rockets? Does it ever go wrong?

For sake of our human communication and information an increasing amount of companies is ready to launch. Although technical satellite emission will prevent that in near future the density could increase to block our sun, it can increase to a hazardous level. More commercial launches means more risks. Risks with dubious rocket fuel and material falling back to earth.

In the Netherlands there is already a similar situation with the national airport Schiphol. There seems no way to reduce the risks to the capital Amsterdam with million habitants. Officially the airport has to grow for the sake of jobs. Compared to the amount of people aware of the risks or stressed by the noise, the amount of people who's work depend on Schiphol is small. And boycotting airtraffic is futile. We eat food provided by airplane and international train traffic is getting too expensive compared to airflights.

Next years the force will increase upon each of us to buy and use a portable telephone. Most of us already have such handy thing, just in case. The technique is still not to be compared with copper wire connection but we can change that. Buy and use extensively these portable telephones and the companies have the money to invest in improving satellite communication.

Put pressure on those who only want to use wall socket phones. So they too will eventually put money in these satellite launching companies. In years the portable telephone quality will get impressive good and the price competitive cheap. But this technique will not stop evolving at the point of hifi sound communication. What about the possibility to see movies with a satellite television account? The need for such will grow gradually.

Companies will advertise with the great possibility to view the latest movies in your own language while on a holiday. And best of all show your family what a great time you have at that tropical beach when connecting the camera to the satellite television. The home front can actually watch us having fun at the holiday spot. No, we are not eaten by one of the last 10 Siberian tigers and the local people appear to be vegetarians.

Actually only a few people really need such visual connectivity. Which gives them the magic glow of importance. And with just a little investment we can buy our own importance aura. We consumers are creative enough to make to a specialistic product a general need. For instance to get better video reception at a rural located second home, some of us will have then (if not already). Ofcourse the satellite video subscribtion comes with a cool extra possibility; To call friends with live pictures at the spot to invite them to come over and stay. By communicating through that media the need for satellite video can spread like a virus.

At that point copperwire telephone connectivity will most likely be as expensive or even more expensive than portable telephone communication. Using a wall plugged telephone will be at that point as nostalgic as international train or boat travel today. There will be no possibility to turn back if the side effects of satellite increase become alarming. We already invested in the commercial companies to go and stay in space.

So why not go for a portable telephone today. Use the gizmo extensively, in the supermarket on the road wherever. Be a guinea-pig for the benefit of future generations on the field of emission amplifiers and brain risks. Maybe you will join an anti satellite group in 2015.

1998 Mathilde muPe (mupe@desk.nl)