Verizon taking a while to release phones, thinking of another carrier

I have been waiting for the XV6800 to be release but have been
thinking maybe I should check out another carrier. It is taking a
while and there is no news as to when it or any other wm6 device will
be released. My concern is not just for my next purchase (the elusive
xv6800) but that I will be using a carrier that will never release
phones in a timely manner. I they seem to be half a generation behind
always.

On the other side I live in the Northeast and they have historically
had better coverage in this area. That could be changing ATT/Cingular
may be catching up but I don't know how to confirm this. Is ATT
expanding their network in this area? Any personal experience is
welcome.

The third factor is functionality. I hear Verizon charges more for
data and actively cripples functionality. Does Cingular do the same?
Verizon charges for tethering to a laptop, does Cingular?