"LHA" <nobody@nobody1.com1> wrote in message
news:zCsgj.3377$El5.2810@newssvr22.news.prodigy.ne t...
> If the cellular companies provided the service and support that their
> customers desire and deserve, they would NOT need to lock us in with long,
> expensive contracts.

Not true. Historically contracts were used by carriers to recover the costs
of phones, which tended to cost much more than most people were willing to
"pony up" for. In other words, the marketing guys figured out it's easier to
sell a phone for $39 and then have them subscribe for, say, $40/mo than sell a
phone for $239 and subscribe for $30/mo.