> imagine an airline user from 1950's jet age, who would be beyond astounded to learn a human could talk to anyone on the planet from the middle of the freakin' ocean, through a series of space-based microwave relays—they would give their right hand to live in that reality.

Well, perhaps, since air travel was much more heavily slanted towards high-ranking executives. For them communication matters.

For the vast majority of everyone, it is true now, and it was then, that sending and receiving communications up to a day earlier than otherwise doesn't approach the value of your right hand.