[RANT_MODE_ON]

I just got my Cingular bill with the extra $4.99 "TDMA/ANALOG NTWK"
charge. No surprise here. Still, I don't understand why they are
charging us, TDMA users, extra. As far as I know they are required by
law to operate the TDMA network till 2008, even if there is a single
TDMA customer. There is no way they are going to make ALL their
customers switch. So, no matter what they charge, they will keep the
network running. Why charge me for my decision not to upgrade? It is
not costing them more if people don't upgrade! I may be wrong here...

And I'm not going to upgrade because TDMA still has far better coverage
in rural areas (at least in Northern California) than GSM. Every time
when we go camping or hikink my fellow campers/hikers rely on my old
TDMA/Analog phone when their GSMs go blank.

[RANT_MODE_OFF]

BTW, I cannot help but wonder... The extra charge is labeled
"TDMA/ANALOG NTWK". NTWK stands for "Night & Weekend" minutes, I
presume. Does this mean that I have to pay extra _ONLY_ because I'm
using night & weekend minutes? What if I get rid of the free night &
weekend? There is something fishy here... Is anybody in the newsgroup a
lawyer?

- Alex