Just as a suggestion, this question might be rephrased as can we have an Internet that doesn't require search companies, or even just massive search monopolies.

Just as a suggestion, this question might be rephrased as can we have an Internet that doesn't require search companies, or even just massive search monopolies. I'm not sure what the answer is re:search. But, an easier example to chew on might've social media. It doesn't take a Facebook to make one. There are lots of different social networking sites (including this one) that are orders of magnitude smaller in terms of resources/people involved, even adjusting for size of the userbase. It doesn't take a Facebook (company) to make Facebook (site). Facebook just turned out to be the prize they got for it. These things are just decided as races. FB got enough users early enough. But, if they went away tomorrow.. users will not lack for social network experiences. Where they get those experiences is basically determined by network effects, not the product itself. For search, it doesn't take a Google either. DDG make a search engine, and they're way smaller. With search though, it does seem that being a Google helps. They have been "winning" convincingly even without network effects and moat that make FB win.